Ke Peng| Student’s Presentations for
Languages & Cultures of East Asia
Writing in Cell Pone Text Messages
among Young People in Japan
By Naohiro Horie
University of Arizona

Why cell phone text messages is
used instead of phone call
Price
Convenience
Writers do not need to worry about
bothering the receiver
Opportunity to revise a message

What is the features in cell phone
text messages in Japan
Non-standard script choices.
Non-standard letter choices
Use of e-moji (picture letters), Kao-moji
(facial letters), and Garu-moji (teenage girl
letters)

Non-
Non-standard script choices
Different impressions of Japanese writing
system in text messages
Hiragana あいうえお
- softness and smoothness
Katakana アイウエオ
- straight and angular
Kanji 阿伊宇江於
- educated and smart
Romaji a i u e o
- western and exotic

Non-
Non-standard script choices
Hiragana is used in order to make the impression
softer.
Hiragana instead of Katakana
はっぴいだよ ハッピーだよ (Happy)
Hiragana instead of Kanji
きょうは 今日は (Today)
Katakana is used in order to emphasize it.
Katakana instead of Hiragana
ゴメンね ごめんね (I’m sorry)
Katakana instead of Kanji
リョーカイです 了解です (All right)

Non-
Non-standard script choices
Romaji is used in order to make the
Impression western or exotic.
Romaji instead of Hiragana
いいyo いいよ (Happy)
Romaji instead of Katakana
Thank you サンキュ(Today)

Non-
Non-standard letter choices
Use of small letter makes a sentence
kawaii (cute).
Used among young women.
1. Reducing the size of normal letters
ありがとう ありがとぅ
2. Adding a small letter to lengthen the
preceding vowel
おやすみ おやすみぃ

What is E-moji?
E-
E-moji (picture character) is logographic
letter.
E-moji is widely used among not only
young people but also relatively older
people.
Icons are built into cell phone.

What is E-moji? (Cont.)
E-
E-moji
Facial Object
Symbols
signs signs

What is Kao-moji?
Kao-
Kao-moji (facial character) is emoticon.
Kao-moji is used among young people.
Icons is built into cell phone, but people
can create own Kao-moji and store them
in cell phone.
(^_-) (^o^)/ (^_^)V (;_;) m(_ _)m
(-.-;)y-~~~

What is Gyaru-moji?
Gyaru-
Gyaru-moji (gal’s character) is distorted
character.
Gyaru-moji is popular among high school
and junior high school girls.

What is Gyaru-moji? (Cont.)
Gyaru-
How to create Gyaru-moji
Example 1 ) Hiragana
け レナ (Katakana re and na)
Ｉナ (Capital i and Katakana na)
(† (open parenthesis and dagger)

What is Gyaru-moji? (Cont.)
Gyaru-
Example 2 ) Katakana
セ 世 (Kanji)
チ 千 (Kanji)
Example 3) Kanji
好 女子
(Kanji for like) (Kanji for woman
and child)

Reasons new logographic letters are
accepted to Japanese people
1. Complication of Japanese writing system.
Hiragana and Katakana are syllabic.
Kanji is logographic.
Romaji is alphabetic.
Japanese people are accustomed to use a
variety of writing systems in a sentence.

Reasons new logographic letters are
accepted to Japanese people

Effects of E-moji, Kao-moji, and
E- Kao-
Gyarumoji
Expressing emotions or feelings
Make a message soft and cute.
Giving an friendly impression.
Giving the impression that more work
done for a message.

1. Expressing emotions or feelings
Since text messages is difficult to express
emotion, facial signs of E-moji (Picture
character) and Kaomoji (face character)
are used.
Ex) おはよう Ohayou ‘Good morning’
Plane おはよう。
E-moji おはよう
Kao-moji おはよう(^_^)/

2. Making an impression of cuteness
Since the plain text message may give a
cold impression, objective signs of E-moji
(Picture character) is used in order to
make a sentence soft and cute.
Ex) おはよう。いまから学校だよ。
おはよう いまから だよ

Controversial Issues
Disadvantages
1. Giving an impression of less seriousness.
ex) Not appropriate for apologizing.
When using Kao-moji, E-moji, and
Gyaru-moji, people need to decide
whether or not those letters are
acceptable, depending on a situation.

Controversial Issues
2. Giving an impression of less politeness
- Not appropriate to use E-moji, Kao-
moji, and Gyaru-moji to older people.
3. Non-standard script choices and non-
standard letter choices are against the
conventional orthography.

References
Kataoka, Kuniyoshi. “Affect and letter-writing: Unconventional conventions in casual
writing by young Japanese women.” Language in Society 26.1 (1997): 103-106.
Katsuno, Hirofumi, and Christine R. Yano. “FACE TO FACE: ON-LINE SUBJECTIVITY IN
CONTEMPORARY JAPAN.” Asian Studies Review 26.2 (2002): 205-231.
Miyake, Kazuko. “How Young Japanese Express Their Emotions Visually in Mobile Phone
Messages: A Sociolinguistic Analysis.” Japanese Studies 27.1 (2007): 53-70.