A kaomoji (顔文字, 'face characters') is a Japanese-style emoticon made entirely from text characters. Unlike Western emoticons such as :) that are read sideways, kaomoji like (^_^) are read face-on. The first one was posted in 1986.

How do I copy and paste a kaomoji?

Click or select the kaomoji, copy it, and paste it into any chat, bio or post. Because kaomoji are plain Unicode text, they render identically on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.

What does ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ mean?

The shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ is the most famous kaomoji worldwide. It expresses 'I don't know', 'whatever' or indifference.

Are kaomoji different from emoji?

Yes. Emoji are image-based pictographs that can look different across platforms, while kaomoji are text characters that look the same everywhere and can be freely customized.

Kaomoji Copy & Paste: 100+ Japanese Emoticons and What They Mean

Short answer: Kaomoji are Japanese emoticons built from text characters — like (◕‿◕), (≧▽≦) and ¯\(ツ)/¯ — that are read face-on and look identical on every device. Click any one below to copy it, or build your own with the Kaomoji Generator.

What is a kaomoji?

A kaomoji (顔文字, literally “face characters”) is a Japanese-style emoticon made entirely from text. The word combines kao (顔, “face”) and moji (文字, “character”). The very first kaomoji, (^_^), was posted on Japan’s ASCII NET in 1986.

The key difference from Western emoticons: kaomoji are read face-on, not sideways. Where an English emoticon like :) makes you tilt your head, a kaomoji (^_^) looks straight back at you. In Japanese culture the eyes are seen as the window to the soul, so kaomoji put expressive detail into the eyes — (T_T) for crying, (^_^) for smiling.

Kaomoji vs emoji: why text wins for some uses

	Kaomoji	Emoji
Made of	Text characters	Image pictographs
Look across devices	Identical everywhere	Varies by platform
Customizable	Freely editable	Fixed set
Where it works	Anywhere text is allowed	Where emoji are supported

Because kaomoji are plain Unicode, they’re perfect for bios, usernames, forum posts and any place where an image emoji might not render the same way.

Kaomoji by emotion (copy & paste)

Happy / excited (≧▽≦) (^▽^) (´∀｀) ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ (*≧ω≦)

Sad / crying (╥﹏╥) (T_T) (；ω；) (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ (･́︿･̀)

Cute / love (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ (◕‿◕) (*˘︶˘*) (♡°▽°♡) ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Shrug / indifference ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ ┐(´～｀)┌ ╮(╯_╰)╭

Angry / annoyed (╬ಠ益ಠ) (ロ´) ヽ(Д´)ノ (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

Tip: To copy reliably across hundreds of options sorted by emotion, use the Kaomoji Generator — one click copies any kaomoji to your clipboard.

The most famous kaomoji: the shrug

¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ is the global breakout star of kaomoji. Known simply as “the shrug”, it means I don’t know, whatever, or not my problem — and it’s become a meme in its own right far beyond Japan.

Where to use kaomoji

Kaomoji are hugely popular on Discord, WhatsApp, X (Twitter), Instagram captions, TikTok comments, Reddit and Threads. Because they’re text, they slot into a username or bio where image emoji can’t go. Young users especially treat them as a second emotional language.

Build your own kaomoji

Want something that isn’t in any list? With the Kaomoji Generator you can combine eyes, mouths and arms to design a unique Japanese emoticon, then copy it instantly. It’s free and needs no signup.

The bottom line

Kaomoji bring expressive, device-proof emotion to any text box. Bookmark this page for quick copy-paste, and use the Kaomoji Generator when you want to craft your own (◕‿◕).