What is Kaomoji? The Complete Guide to Japanese Text Emoticons
Kaomoji (顔文字) are Japanese text emoticons made from Unicode characters. Unlike Western emoticons like :) that you read sideways, kaomoji are designed to be read straight on. Here's everything you need to know.
What Does Kaomoji Mean?
The word kaomoji comes from Japanese: 顔 (kao) meaning 'face' and 文字 (moji) meaning 'character' or 'letter'. So kaomoji literally means 'face characters'.
They originated in Japan in the 1980s and have since spread globally, especially with the rise of anime culture and internet communication.
Kaomoji vs Emoticons vs Emoji
Emoticons: Western text faces read sideways :-) :( ;-)
Kaomoji: Japanese text faces read straight on (◕‿◕) (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Emoji: Image-based pictographs standardized by Unicode 😊 ❤️ 🎉
The Most Popular Kaomoji
(◕‿◕) — Happy, content
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — Shrug, whatever
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ — Table flip, frustrated
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) — Lenny face, suggestive/mischievous
(ง°ล͜°)ง — Fight! challenge
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ — Bear
(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ — Hug
ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ — Surprise
How to Use Kaomoji
Copy and paste kaomoji directly from PasteMoji's kaomoji section. They work in any text field — social media, messages, emails, usernames.
Some kaomoji use special Unicode characters that may not display correctly on all devices. Test before using in professional contexts.
Kaomoji by Mood
Happy: (◕‿◕) (*^▽^*) ╰(*°▽°*)╯
Sad: (T_T) (ノ_<。) o(╥﹏╥)o
Love: (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ (♡°▽°♡)
Angry: (ง°ل͜°)ง (╬ಠ益ಠ)
Surprised: (ʘᗩʘ') ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ