kaomoji

thumb|upright=0.8|Kaomoji on a Japanese NTT Docomo mobile phone thumb|A Kaomoji painting in Japan

Kaomoji are Japanese emoticons that use combinations of text characters to represent facial expressions and emotions. They first appeared in Japan during the 1980s, offering a distinctive way to convey tone and mood in digital communication. Common examples include: (^ω^) – expresses happiness or excitement ( ͡o╭╮ ͡o) – conveys sadness or disappointment