Text Emoticons (Kaomoji)

Q: Where did the table flip emoticon come from?

The table flip kaomoji originated on Japanese message boards in the early 2000s. It uses box-drawing characters for the table and a face expressing frustration. It became one of the most recognized kaomoji internationally and is often paired with the table-unflip emoticon to show someone calming down.

Copy 500+ kaomoji emoticons instantly — Japanese-style text faces for every emotion and situation.

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Shrug Emoticons

Wave Emoticons

Dance Emoticons

About Kaomoji

Kaomoji are Japanese emoticons that use text characters to create expressive faces. Unlike Western emoticons (:-)), kaomoji are read upright and use a wider range of characters.

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How to Use Kaomoji Text Emoticons

Find and copy Japanese-style text emoticons instantly. Kaomoji work on every platform that supports Unicode text, including social media, messaging apps, email, and documents.

Browse by emotion using the category tabs: Happy, Sad, Love, Angry, Confused, Cute, Excited, Shrug, Wave, or Dance.
Search by keyword using the search bar to find emoticons matching a specific mood or action.
Click any emoticon to copy it to your clipboard instantly.
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What Are Kaomoji?

Kaomoji (顔文字) are Japanese text emoticons that literally translate to "face characters." Unlike Western emoticons that are read sideways (like :-) or :-P), kaomoji are read upright and use a much broader range of characters including Japanese katakana, Cyrillic letters, mathematical symbols, and special Unicode characters.

Kaomoji originated in Japan during the 1980s on early internet message boards and became popular worldwide due to their expressiveness. While Western emoticons are limited to basic punctuation marks, kaomoji can convey complex emotions, actions, and scenarios. For example, (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ depicts a person flipping a table in anger — something no simple smiley can express.

Kaomoji remain popular because they work in plain text without requiring special apps or image support. They display identically on every device, unlike emoji which can look different across iOS, Android, and Windows platforms.

Kaomoji vs Emoji vs Emoticons

Type	Example	Origin	Display	Best For
Kaomoji	(◕‿◕)	Japan, 1980s	Same on all devices	Expressive text art
Emoticons	:-) ;-P	USA, 1982	Same on all devices	Simple emotions
Emoji	😀 😍	Japan, 1999	Varies by platform	Visual messaging

Popular Kaomoji Categories

Happy faces: Express joy and contentment with smiling kaomoji like (◕‿◕) and (*^‿^*). These are the most commonly used kaomoji across all platforms.
Love and affection: Heart-eyes and blushing faces like (♥‿♥) are popular in romantic messages and fan communities.
Table flips: The iconic (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ and its calm counterpart ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ) are staples of internet culture.
Shrugs: The universal ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ expresses indifference or uncertainty and is one of the most recognized kaomoji worldwide.
Animals: Cat faces (=^・ω・^=) and bear faces (ᵔᴥᵔ) add playful personality to messages.
Dance and celebration: Moving kaomoji like ┏(·o·)┛♪ bring energy and excitement to text conversations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between kaomoji and emoji?

Kaomoji are text-based emoticons made from Unicode characters that display identically on all devices. Emoji are pictographic characters that render as colorful images and can look different on iOS, Android, and Windows. Kaomoji work in any plain text field, while emoji require platform support for proper rendering.

Do kaomoji work on Instagram and TikTok?

Yes. Kaomoji work on all major social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, Reddit, and YouTube. They are plain text characters, so they display correctly in any text field including bios, captions, comments, and direct messages.

Why do some kaomoji not display correctly?

Some kaomoji use rare Unicode characters from Japanese, Cyrillic, or mathematical character sets. If a font on your device does not include these characters, they may appear as empty boxes or question marks. This is uncommon on modern devices but can happen on older systems with limited font support.

Where did the table flip emoticon come from?

The table flip kaomoji (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ originated on Japanese message boards in the early 2000s. It uses box-drawing characters for the table and a face expressing frustration. It became one of the most recognized kaomoji internationally and is often paired with the table-unflip ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ) to show someone calming down.

Can I create my own kaomoji?

Yes. Kaomoji are simply combinations of Unicode characters arranged to resemble faces or actions. You can create custom kaomoji by combining parentheses, Japanese characters, mathematical symbols, and other Unicode characters. The basic structure is: left border + eyes + mouth + eyes + right border, such as (◕‿◕).

How many kaomoji are in this collection?

This collection includes over 500 kaomoji organized into 10 categories: Happy, Sad, Love, Angry, Confused, Cute, Excited, Shrug, Wave, and Dance. Each category contains 6 to 30 unique kaomoji. New emoticons are added regularly to keep the collection fresh and comprehensive.