mahjong red dragon
Unicode: 1F004
Description
A red or pink square with two white circles or spheres, often resembling a traditional Japanese hanafuda playing card for Cherry Blossom (Sakura) or April.
Group:
Activities > game
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Neutral or context-dependent. It doesn't inherently convey an emotion but can be used to represent Japanese culture, games, or seasons.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010), representing the 'Flower Card' symbol from traditional Japanese hanafuda playing cards. Specifically, it often depicts the 'Sakura' (Cherry Blossom) card from the April suit, which is one of the brightest cards (ε ζ).
Usage Examples
- Talking about hanafuda games: 'Let's play Koi-Koi! π'
- Referring to Japanese culture or traditional arts: 'Exploring traditional Japanese games today π'
- Indicating springtime or cherry blossom season in a subtle, culturally specific way: 'Sakura season is beautiful πΈπ'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Less commonly understood without context, might be seen as a random abstract symbol or a game piece.
East Asian culture:
Widely recognized as a hanafuda card, specifically the bright (ε ) card for April (ζ‘), used in card games or to symbolize springtime and cherry blossoms.