Land of the Rising Emoji

The first emojis came into existence at a time when the world was still operating on pagers, and you'd be lucky to have a cell phone.

The year is 1999 and a Japanese cell phone company, NTT DOCOMO, is looking to differentiate their phone in the market...

0:00

/0:49

Japan Facts:

The first set of emojis contained 176 images, and were created by Shigetaka Kurita to promote NTT DOCOMO's new phone. Today, there are over 3,600 official emojis (Wikipedia).
The word "emoji" is a blend of two Japanese words for picture and letter – picture (絵, pronounced eh) and letter/character (文字, mōji) – meaning it's purely coincidence that "emoji" sounds like the English word "emotion."

💡 Cultural Differences: How the Japanese Interpret Our Favorite Emojis (Nippon.com)

Pachinko for Dementia Prevention: A Surprising Cognitive Tool

In an unexpected twist, pachinko is being used in Japan as a tool for dementia prevention, offering a new approach to cognitive health.

Sep 20

Japan Business Failures Fall: How Companies Are Adapting to Economic Challenges

Japan is seeing a decline in business failures, with companies finding ways to navigate economic challenges and remain sustainable.

Sep 20

PrankGPT: The AI Tool That Makes Hilarious Prank Calls for You!

Ever wanted to prank someone without having to make the call yourself? With PrankGPT, AI handles the fun, creating personalized prank calls with just a phone number and a sentence. Check out how it works!

Sep 17

The Rise and Enduring Legacy of NightCafe

NightCafe, one of the first AI art generators, continues to thrive even as newer platforms like MidJourney gain popularity. Discover how this pioneering tool is still inspiring creativity in a growing community of users.