Why do Japanese people love emojis and stickers so much? ―The roots of Japan’s ‘culture of stamping’

What is the ‘culture of stamping’?

Don’t you think Japanese messages are rich in emotion?

That’s because emojis and stickers are often added to Japanese LINE messages and social media posts.

Of course, emojis are used all over the world, but Japanese people’s love for them is a little special.

In fact, the roots of this may lie in ancient culture.

A unique Japanese culture

Not only in messages, but also in point cards, documents, and even children’s doodles, Japanese people like to ‘stamp,’ ‘mark,’ or ‘decorate’ their possessions.

For example, they embroider their names on children’s bags or engrave their names on pencils. Additionally, point cards provided by stores often have the store’s name stamped on them, and Japanese people simply love to ‘stamp’ things.

Digital stamps and emojis are also an extension of this culture.

Why stamp?

In Japan, there has been a long-standing custom of using ‘hanko’ (seals).

The culture of ‘stamping’ instead of signing to indicate identity, approval, or feelings.

This sense of ‘conveying through stamping’ has naturally blended into the digital age.

 Sending a stamp = conveying your feelings with a ‘pop’

 Emoji YES = a soft sign of agreement 

The reassurance that comes from being able to convey your feelings just by ‘pressing’ without having to put it into words

It also solves the problem of not knowing how to express something in words with just one stamp.

It is a means of expression that fits perfectly with the non-verbal communication of Japanese people.

The diversity of the culture of pressing

Children collect stamp cards (not just for discounts, but as a sign of joy), and they enjoy the process of filling in the blanks with stamps. 

The culture of decorating letters and notebooks with ‘deco stamps’ is a way of saying, ‘My notebook is cute, isn’t it?’

Polite language stamps are a means of delicately expressing Japanese emotions.

 In official documents, there is the reality that ‘stamps are more important than signatures as a means of proving the act.’

Japanese People and the Culture of Stamping 

For Japanese people, the act of ‘stamping’ is not just a simple operation.

It is a quiet message imbued with emotion, respect, and a sense of distance.

Emojis and stamps carry such ‘Japanese spirit’ within them.