After 26 years, NTT Docomo is retiring all its emojis in June
Japan's largest telecommunications operator NTT Docomo Inc. announced on May 21 that it is discontinuing its "Docomo Emoji" set that comes with each of its devices.
The decision to phase them out was made "in light of the current status of emoji usage."
The set will no longer appear on models released in late June and beyond; this applies to Android smartphones and Docomo cellphones. Galaxy series phones are briefly exempt as all new models from July will no longer feature the emojis.
Those with older models will also see the set eventually disappear following a software update scheduled for October at the earliest.
The company is calling for users to switch over to emojis created by Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.
Docomo's emojis were first introduced to cellphones in 1999 via the provider's "i-mode" internet connection service. They gained widespread use to supplement or substitute text in those early days of digital communication.
These deceptively simple designs have significantly impacted overseas emoji culture as well. In 2016, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York acquired and exhibited that original 176-emoji set.
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Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Latest chapter in the history of emoji draws to a close in Japan
Pictograms used in smartphone apps and other applications (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Birthday messages from friends are never complete without a flurry of emojis. Whether sent from just down the street or halfway across the world, the visual language they carry is remarkably universal—cakes, candles and flower bouquets light up the screen with festive familiarity. At times, these symbols come with delightful cultural flourishes. One friend from Italy, where the birthday custom includes gently tugging the celebrant's ears for each year of life, once added an ear emoji to the message—a whimsical nod to tradition. There's a quiet joy in simply taking in this digital bouquet, each emoji a tiny but heartfelt gesture of celebration. The global spread of the Japanese word 'emoji' is often credited, in part, to its phonetic similarity to the English word 'emotion'—a coincidence that smoothed their adoption abroad. Another theory points out that long before emoji became ubiquitous, the West had already embraced 'emoticons,' a portmanteau of 'emotion' and 'icon,' used to represent facial expressions through simple punctuation, like ':)'. Whatever their linguistic roots, emojis have long since transcended borders, evolving into a shared visual language of emotion in the digital age. Against this backdrop, a recent announcement by NTT Docomo Inc. carries a note of quiet poignancy: the company will end support for its original 'Docomo Emoji,' a pioneering and widely used set that helped shape the way we express ourselves online. Beginning later this month, newly released smartphones will no longer include these foundational pictographs. Docomo first introduced its emoji set in 1999, alongside its groundbreaking 'i-mode' mobile internet service. At the time, the notion of conveying emotion through tiny digital images felt nothing short of revolutionary. I still remember the thrill of discovering them for the first time. I eagerly embraced the set—featuring a laughing face with a wide, block-like mouth, simple hearts, and a bold upward-curving arrow. Even now, their pixelated simplicity retains a certain nostalgic charm, evoking the early days of mobile communication when expression found new life in just a few pixels. The original set featured about 200 symbols. Today, the global emoji repertoire has expanded to nearly 4,000. In her book 'Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language,' Canadian linguist Gretchen McCulloch describes emojis as digital 'gestures'—tools that help written communication mirror the nuance, tone and emotional shading of spoken conversation. Humanity has always strived to refine its means of expression. And in an era where smartphones transmit vast volumes of information in an instant, I sometimes find myself nostalgic for that simple, pixelated heart from the early Docomo emoji. —The Asahi Shimbun, June ２ * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Asahi Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
After 26 years, NTT Docomo is retiring all its emojis in June
Japan's largest telecommunications operator NTT Docomo Inc. announced on May 21 that it is discontinuing its "Docomo Emoji" set that comes with each of its devices. The decision to phase them out was made "in light of the current status of emoji usage." The set will no longer appear on models released in late June and beyond; this applies to Android smartphones and Docomo cellphones. Galaxy series phones are briefly exempt as all new models from July will no longer feature the emojis. Those with older models will also see the set eventually disappear following a software update scheduled for October at the earliest. The company is calling for users to switch over to emojis created by Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Docomo's emojis were first introduced to cellphones in 1999 via the provider's "i-mode" internet connection service. They gained widespread use to supplement or substitute text in those early days of digital communication. These deceptively simple designs have significantly impacted overseas emoji culture as well. In 2016, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York acquired and exhibited that original 176-emoji set.
Japan Times
22-05-2025
- Japan Times
NTT Docomo to retire iconic emoji set after 26 years
NTT Docomo will phase out its proprietary set of emoji — known as Docomo Emoji — starting with smartphones released in late June, according to an announcement from the telecom giant, ending a 26-year run that helped shape the visual language of mobile communication. Beginning next month, newly released Android smartphones and feature phones sold by Docomo will no longer include the carrier's original emoji. Samsung's Galaxy series will follow suit starting with devices launching in July or later. Galaxy phones will instead use Samsung's own emoji designs, while other Android and Docomo-branded feature phones will adopt Google's Noto Color Emoji set. The transition won't be limited to new models. From October, some existing Galaxy devices will receive software updates that remove Docomo's emoji from the system. Docomo Emoji debuted in 1999 with the company's i-mode mobile internet service, offering a novel way for users to express emotion and nuance via electronic mail. The word emoji itself comes from the combination of the Japanese words for picture, e, and letter, moji. At a time when screen space and bandwidth were scarce, the emoji — simple 12 x 12 pixel designs depicting facial expressions and everyday objects — enabled more fluid, visual communication. Development constraints meant that the project lacked professional design staff. Instead, it was overseen by Shigetaka Kurita, who at the time was a planner for i-mode and supervised the emoji's creation in-house. The symbols quickly became a touchstone for Japanese mobile users and eventually laid the foundation for today's global emoji ecosystem. Apple's first emoji keyboard appeared on iOS 2.2 in November 2008. It was initially restricted to iPhone users in Japan, but expanded to outside users in 2011 with iOS 5.0, and eventually became enabled by default. Emoji is compatible with the Unicode standard, meaning a character sent from one device's set can be displayed in another. In 2016, the Museum of Modern Art in New York added Docomo's original 176 emoji set to its permanent collection, cementing their cultural legacy. While Docomo's emoji remain beloved by some, their prominence has faded amid the rise of more expressive tools like LINE stickers and social media platforms that support richer visuals. As digital communication has evolved, the original Docomo Emoji set has played a less central role in mobile interaction. Responding to a user on X who asked how he felt about the emoji's retirement, Kurita expressed no regret. 'Honestly, I don't feel sad. Docomo Emoji have fulfilled their role, and the fact that they're preserved in a museum as part of history gives me a sense of closure,' he wrote on Wednesday. 'More than anything, I just feel grateful. I want to say thank you to everyone who used them for so many years." He added: 'One could say they've more than fulfilled their purpose. If anything, their retirement feels long overdue. A heartfelt thank you for the many years of service.'
