Japanese “open for business” button
Unicode: 1F23A
Description
Unicode character for the Japanese “Service Charge” button, typically a red square with the kanji characters サ (“sa”) and ー (“long vowel mark”) in white, often referring to a service charge for accommodation.
Group:
Symbols > alphanum
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
This is a symbolic character, not typically associated with human emotions. It conveys a specific financial or service-related meaning.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010), part of a set of Japanese 'squared CJK unified ideographs' and 'katakana letters' designed to represent common signage and buttons found in Japan. It helps in digitally representing cultural specifics.
Usage Examples
- Indicating a hotel fee: 'Total bill includes 🏚.'
- Referring to an extra charge in a service: 'Note: There is a 🏚 applied for late checkout.'
- On digital maps/apps to mark specific service locations: 'Hotel with 🏚 option available.'
- In educational materials about Japanese culture/language: 'This symbol 🏚 means “service charge” in Japanese.'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Largely unknown or misinterpreted without context, as the concept it represents is specific to Japan. Might be seen as a decorative 'sa' or an abstract design.
East Asian culture:
Immediately recognizable in Japan as the 'service charge' or 'accommodation fee' symbol, especially in hospitality settings. Its meaning is clear and direct.