Emoji

Emoji (絵文字 or えもじ; Japanese pronunciation: [emodʑi]) are the ideograms or smileys used in Japanese electronic messages and webpages, whose use is spreading outside Japan. Originally meaning pictograph, the word emoji literally means "picture" (e) + "letter" (moji). The characters are used much like ASCII emoticons or kaomoji, but a wider range is provided, and the icons are standardized and built into the handsets. Some emoji are very specific to Japanese culture, such as a bowing (apologizing) businessman, a face wearing a face mask, a white flower used to denote "brilliant homework" or a group of emoji representing popular foods: ramen noodles, dango, onigiri, Japanese curry, and sushi. The three main Japanese operators, NTT DoCoMo, au, and SoftBank Mobile (formerly Vodafone), have each defined their own variants of emoji.^{[citation needed]}

Although originally only available in Japan, some emoji character sets have been incorporated into Unicode, allowing them to be used elsewhere as well. As a result, some phones such as Windows Phone 7 line and the iPhone allow access to the symbols without requiring a Japanese carrier. Emoji have also started appearing in emailing services such as Gmail (accessed via Google Labs) in April 2009^[1] and websites such as Flipnote Hatena. Several SMS applications for Android operating system phones^[2] also provide plugins that allow the use of emoji. Apple's Mac OS X operating system supports emoji as of version 10.7 Lion with the Apple Color Emoji typeface.^[3]

History

The first emoji were created in 1998 or 1999 by Shigetaka Kurita, who was part of the team working on NTT DoCoMo's i-mode mobile internet platform. The first set of 172 12×12 pixel emoji was created as part of i-mode's messaging features to help facilitate electronic communication, and to serve as a distinguishing feature from other services.^[4]

Legacy encoded emoji

For NTT DoCoMo's i-mode, each emoji is drawn on a 12×12 pixel grid. When transmitted, emoji symbols are specified as a two-byte sequence, in the private-use range E63E through E757 in the Unicode character space, or F89F through F9FC for Shift JIS. The basic specification has 176 symbols, with 76 more added in phones that support C-HTML 4.0.

Emoji pictograms by au are specified using the IMG tag. SoftBank Mobile emoji are wrapped between SI/SO escape sequences, and support colors and animation. DoCoMo's emoji are the most compact to transmit while au's version is more flexible based on open standards.

In the Unicode standard

Hundreds of emoji characters were encoded in the Unicode Standard in version 6.0 released in October 2010 (and in the related international standard ISO/IEC 10646). The additions, originally requested by Google (Kat Momoi, Mark Davis, and Markus Scherer wrote the first draft for consideration by the Unicode Technical Committee in August 2007) and Apple Inc. (whose Yasuo Kida and Peter Edberg joined the first official UTC proposal for 607 characters as coauthors in January 2009), went through a long series of commenting by members of the Unicode Consortium and national standardization bodies of various countries participating in ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2, especially the United States, Germany, Ireland (led by Michael Everson), and Japan; various new characters (especially symbols for maps and European signs) were added during the consensus-building process.

The core emoji set as of Unicode 6.0 consists of 722 characters, of which 114 characters map to sequences of one or more characters in the pre-6.0 Unicode standard, and the remaining 608 characters map to sequences of one or more characters introduced in Unicode 6.0.^[5] There is no block specifically set aside for emoji – the new symbols were encoded in seven different blocks (some newly created), and there exists a Unicode data file called EmojiSources.txt that includes mappings to and from the Japanese vendors' legacy character sets.

Regional Indicator Symbols

A set of Regional Indicator Symbols were defined as part of this set of characters as an alternative to encoding separate characters for national flags.

Emoji characters

SoftBank encoding

This encoding was used in Apple's iOS prior to version 5.^[6] It uses the following characters from the Unicode Private Use Area (this is unlikely to display correctly on systems that do not use SoftBank encoding, but a conversion table is available between Unicode, SoftBank and various other encodings^[7]).



















































©®™

Apple encoding

OS X Lion

This set includes all the symbols available in Apple Color Emoji on OS X Lion and iOS 5.
i

# 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ⃣ 

🇦 🇧 🇨 🇩 🇪 🇫 🇬 🇭 🇮 🇯 🇰 🇱 🇲 🇳 🇴 🇵 🇶 🇷 🇸 🇹 🇺 🇻 🇼 🇽 🇾 🇿

#⃣0⃣1⃣2⃣3⃣4⃣5⃣6⃣7⃣8⃣9⃣©®

‼⁉

™ℹ

↔↕↖↗↘↙↩↪

⌚⌛

⏩⏪⏫⏬⏰⏳

Ⓜ

▪▫▶◀◻◼◽◾

 ☀☁☎☑☔☕☝☺♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓♠♣♥♦♨♻♿⚓⚠⚡⚪⚫⚽⚾⛄⛅⛎⛔⛪⛲⛳⛵⛺⛽

 ✂✅✈✉✊✋✌✏✒✔✖✨✳✴❄❇❌❎❓❔❕❗❤➕➖➗➡➰➿

⤴⤵

 ⬅⬆⬇⬛⬜⭐⭕

〰〽

㊗㊙



 🀄🃏🅰🅱🅾🅿🆎🆑🆒🆓🆔🆕🆖🆗🆘🆙🆚

🇨🇳🇩🇪🇪🇸🇫🇷🇬🇧🇮🇹🇯🇵🇰🇷🇷🇺🇺🇸

 🈁🈂🈚🈯🈲🈳🈴🈵🈶🈷🈸🈹🈺🉐🉑

 🌀🌁🌂🌃🌄🌅🌆🌇🌈🌉🌊🌋🌌🌍🌎🌏🌐🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌙🌚🌛🌜🌝🌞🌟🌠

 🌰🌱🌲🌳🌴🌵🌷🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼🌽🌾🌿🍀🍁🍂🍃🍄🍅🍆🍇🍈🍉🍊🍋🍌🍍🍎🍏🍐🍑🍒🍓🍔🍕🍖🍗🍘🍙🍚🍛🍜🍝🍞🍟

 🍠🍡🍢🍣🍤🍥🍦🍧🍨🍩🍪🍫🍬🍭🍮🍯🍰🍱🍲🍳🍴🍵🍶🍷🍸🍹🍺🍻🍼🎀🎁🎂🎃🎄🎅🎆🎇🎈🎉🎊🎋🎌🎍🎎🎏🎐🎑🎒🎓

 🎠🎡🎢🎣🎤🎥🎦🎧🎨🎩🎪🎫🎬🎭🎮🎯🎰🎱🎲🎳🎴🎵🎶🎷🎸🎹🎺🎻🎼🎽🎾🎿🏀🏁🏂🏃🏄🏅🏆🏇🏈🏉🏊

 🏠🏡🏢🏣🏤🏥🏦🏧🏨🏩🏪🏫🏬🏭🏮🏯🏰🐀🐁🐂🐃🐄🐅🐆🐇🐈🐉🐊🐋🐌🐍🐎🐏🐐🐑🐒🐓🐔🐕🐖🐗🐘🐙🐚🐛🐜🐝🐞🐟

 🐠🐡🐢🐣🐤🐥🐦🐧🐨🐩🐪🐫🐬🐭🐮🐯🐰🐱🐲🐳🐴🐵🐶🐷🐸🐹🐺🐻🐼🐽🐾👀👂👃👄👅👆👇👈👉👊👋👌👍👎👏

 👐👑👒👓👔👕👖👗👘👙👚👛👜👝👞👟👠👡👢👣👤👥👦👧👨👩👪👫👬👭👮👯👰👱👲👳👴👵👶👷👸👹👺👻👼👽👾👿

 💀💁💂💃💄💅💆💇💈💉💊💋💌💍💎💏💐💑💒💓💔💕💖💘💙💚💛💜💝💞💟💠💡💢💣💤💥💦💧💨💩💪💫💬💭💮💯

 💰💱💲💳💴💵💶💷💸💹💺💻💼💽💾💿📀📁📂📃📄📅📆📇📈📉📊📋📌📍📎📏📐📑📒📓📔📕📖📗📘📙📚📛📜📝📞📟

 📠📡📢📣📤📥📦📧📨📩📪📫📬📭📮📯📰📱📲📳📴📵📶📷📹📺📻📼🔀🔁🔂🔃🔄🔅🔆🔇🔈🔉🔊🔋🔌🔍🔎🔏

 🔐🔑🔒🔓🔔🔕🔖🔗🔘🔙🔚🔛🔜🔝🔞🔟🔠🔡🔢🔣🔤🔥🔦🔧🔨🔩🔪🔫🔬🔭🔮🔯🔰🔱🔲🔳🔴🔵🔶🔷🔸🔹🔺🔻🔼🔽

 🕐🕑🕒🕓🕔🕕🕖🕗🕘🕙🕚🕛🕜🕝🕞🕟🕠🕡🕢🕣🕤🕥🕦🕧🗻🗼🗽🗾🗿

 😁😂😃😄😅😆😇😈😉😊😋😌😍😎😏😐😒😓😔😖😘😚😜😝😞😠😡😢😣😤😥😨😩😪😫😭😰😱😲😳😵😶😷

 😸😹😺😻😼😽😾😿🙀🙅🙆🙇🙈🙉🙊🙋🙌🙍🙎🙏

 🚀🚁🚂🚃🚄🚅🚆🚇🚈🚉🚊🚋🚌🚍🚎🚏🚐🚑🚒🚓🚔🚕🚖🚗🚘🚙🚚🚛🚜🚝🚞🚟🚠🚡🚢🚣🚤🚥🚦🚧🚨🚩🚪

 🚫🚬🚭🚮🚯🚰🚱🚲🚳🚴🚵🚶🚷🚸🚹🚺🚻🚼🚽🚾🚿🛀🛁🛂🛃🛄🛅

OS X Mountain Lion

This set includes all the symbols available in Apple Color Emoji on OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6.

People

😄😃😀😊☺😉😍😘😚😗😙😜😝😛😳😁😔😌😒😞😣

😢😂😭😪😥😰😅😓😩😫😨😱😠😡😤😖😆😋😷😎😴

😵😲😟😦😧😈👿😮😬😐😕😯😶😇😏😑👲👳👮👷💂

👶👦👧👨👩👴👵👱👼👸😺😸😻😽😼🙀😿😹😾👹👺

🙈🙉🙊💀👽💩🔥✨🌟💫💥💢💦💧💤💨👂👀👃👅👄

👍👎👌👊✊✌👋✋👐👆👇👉👈🙌🙏☝👏💪🚶🏃💃

👫👪👬👭💏💑👯🙆🙅💁🙋💆💇💅👰🙎🙍🙇🎩👑👒

👟👞👡👠👢👕👔👚👗🎽👖👘👙💼👜👝👛👓🎀🌂💄

💛💙💜💚❤💔💗💓💕💖💞💘💌💋💍💎👤👥💬👣💭

Nature

🐶🐺🐱🐭🐹🐰🐸🐯🐨🐻🐷🐽🐮🐗🐵🐒🐴🐑🐘🐼🐧
🐦🐤🐥🐣🐔🐍🐢🐛🐝🐜🐞🐌🐙🐚🐠🐟🐬🐳🐋🐄🐏
🐀🐃🐅🐇🐉🐎🐐🐓🐕🐖🐁🐂🐲🐡🐊🐫🐪🐆🐈🐩🐾
💐🌸🌷🍀🌹🌻🌺🍁🍃🍂🌿🌾🍄🌵🌴🌲🌳🌰🌱🌼🌐
🌞🌝🌚🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌜🌛🌙🌍🌎🌏🌋🌌🌠⭐
☀⛅☁⚡☔❄⛄🌀🌁🌈🌊💩

Places

🏠🏡🏫🏢🏣🏥🏦🏪🏩🏨💒⛪🏬🏤🌇🌆🏯🏰⛺🏭🗼

🗾🗻🌄🌅🌃🗽🌉🎠🎡⛲🎢🚢⛵🚤🚣⚓🚀✈💺🚁🚂

🚊🚉🚎🚆🚄🚅🚈🚇🚝🚋🚃🚎🚌🚍🚙🚘🚗🚕🚖🚛🚚

🚨🚓🚔🚒🚑🚐🚲🚡🚟🚠🚜💈🚏🎫🚦🚥⚠🚧🔰⛽🏮

🎰♨🗿🎪🎭📍🚩🇯🇵🇰🇷🇩🇪🇨🇳🇺🇸🇫🇷🇪🇸🇮🇹🇷🇺🇬🇧

The last 10 characters in the above set (the national flags) are each encoded using two Unicode values in the Regional Indicator Symbol range:

🇯🇵 (Flag of Japan) = U+1F1EF U+1F1F5 (JP)
🇰🇷 (Flag of South Korea) = U+1F1F0 U+1F1F7 (KR)
🇩🇪 (Flag of Germany) = U+1F1E9 U+1F1EA (DE)
🇨🇳 (Flag of China) = U+1F1E8 U+1F1F3 (CN)
🇺🇸 (Flag of the United States) = U+1F1FA U+1F1F8 (US)
🇫🇷 (Flag of France) = U+1F1EB U+1F1F7 (FR)
🇪🇸 (Flag of Spain) = U+1F1EA U+1F1F8 (ES)
🇮🇹 (Flag of Italy) = U+1F1EE U+1F1F9 (IT)
🇷🇺 (Flag of Russia) = U+1F1F7 U+1F1FA (RU)
🇬🇧 (Flag of the United Kingdom) = U+1F1EC U+1F1E7 (GB)

Symbols

1⃣2⃣3⃣4⃣5⃣6⃣7⃣8⃣9⃣0⃣🔟🔢#⃣🔣⬆⬇⬅➡🔠🔡🔤

↗↖↘↙↔↕🔄◀▶🔼🔽↩↪ℹ⏪⏩⏫⏬⤵⤴🆗

🔀🔁🔂🆕🆙🆒🆓🆖📶🎦🈁🈯🈳🈵🈴🈲🉐🈹🈺🈶🈚

🚻🚹🚺🚼🚾🚰🚮🅿♿🚭🈷🈸🈂Ⓜ🛂🛄🛅🛃🉑㊙㊗

🆑🆘🆔🚫🔞📵🚯🚱🚳🚷🚸⛔✳❇❎✅✴💟🆚📳📴

🅰🅱🆎🅾💠➿♻♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓⛎🔯

🏧💹💲💱©®™❌‼⁉❗❓❕❔⭕🔝🔚🔙🔛🔜🔃

🕛🕧🕐🕜🕑🕝🕒🕞🕓🕟🕔🕠🕕🕡🕖🕢🕗🕣🕘🕤🕙

🕥🕚🕦✖➕➖➗♠♥♣♦💮💯✔☑🔘🔗➰〰〽🔱

◼◻◾◽▪▫🔺🔲🔳⚫⚪🔴🔵🔻⬜⬛🔶🔷🔸🔹
👎👊❔👌💛💢❔👊💙🌟❕

👀👃👅👂👄

Emoji use outside of mobile

Mac OS X

The mini character palette showing the Emoji emoticons.

Apple first introduced Emoji to their desktop operating system with the release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Users can view Emoji characters sent through email and messaging applications, which are commonly shared by mobile users, as well as any other application. Users can create Emoji symbols using the "Characters" special input panel from almost any Mac OS X application by selecting the “Edit” menu and pulling down to “Special Characters”, or by the key combination ⌘ Command+⌥ Option+T. Mac OS X uses the Apple Color Emoji font that was introduced in iOS. This provides users with full color pictographs.^[8]

With the introduction of Max OS X 10.9 Mavericks, users can now access a dedicated emoji input palette in most text input boxes by using the key combination. ⌘ Command+^ Ctrl+Space.^[9]

Microsoft Windows

Windows 8 and higher supports the full Unicode Emoji characters through Microsoft's Segoe UI family of fonts. Emoji characters are accessed through the onscreen keyboard's "smiley" key. As of Windows 8.1 Preview, Segoe UI Emoji font supplies full-color pictographs. Differently than Mac OS X & iOS, color glyphs are only supplied when the application supports Microsoft's DirectWrite API, and Segoe UI Emoji is explicitly declared, otherwise monochrome glyphs appear. An update for the Segoe UI Symbol font in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2 brings a subset of the monochrome Unicode set to those operating systems.^[10] The font update rebrands the font as Segoe UI Symbol. The difference between the two fonts is that Segoe UI lacks any and all Emoji characters, while Segoe UI Symbol does not.

See also

• iConji

References

External links

• au by KDDI: Emoji, Type 1 2 (in Japanese)
• Emoji Symbols - The original proposals for encoding of Emoji symbols as Unicode characters.
• The Unicode FAQ - Emoji & Dingbats
• Background data for Unicode proposal
• A table displaying available emojis without requiring Unicode
• PhantomOpenEmoji - an open-source collection of Emoji symbols with a permissive license