HN Showcase
Back to browse
Kaomojiya – Browse and copy kaomoji (Japanese text emoticons) instantly

Kaomojiya – Browse and copy kaomoji (Japanese text emoticons) instantly

by chrisweiindie·Feb 27, 2026·1 point·0 comments
Visit ProjectView on HN

AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemCozy

Organized kaomoji library beats scattered Discord emotes and Reddit threads.

Strengths
  • •Static TypeScript data files eliminate database overhead while preserving Japanese cultural context (dogeza, otsukaresama meanings).
  • •One-click copy UX removes friction from an actual use case—beats manual selection + Ctrl+C.
  • •Comprehensive categorization: 500+ categories across emotion, animals, scenes—faster discovery than browsing.
Weaknesses
  • •AI kaomoji generation is mentioned but undemonstrated; unclear if output is novel or useful.
  • •Niche appeal: only valuable for Japanese language or otaku communities; limited growth potential.
Category
Productivity
Target Audience

Japanese language users, social media enthusiasts, anyone who uses LINE, Twitter, Discord, or messaging apps

Similar To

Kaomoji.moe (smaller, less organized alternative) · Discord kaomoji emoji packs (unsearchable, scattered)

Post Description

Hi HN! I built Kaomojiya (https://kaomojiya.org), a free kaomoji reference site with 3,000+ Japanese emoticons organized into 500+ categories.

The idea came from wanting a fast, well-organized way to find and copy kaomoji — those uniquely Japanese text emoticons like (╥﹏╥) and ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶ that you can't easily type.

Features: - One-click copy to clipboard - 500+ categories: emotions, animals, characters, greetings, seasonal, food, etc. - Subcategory filtering (basic, cute, kawaii, decorated, ascii art) - AI-powered kaomoji generation for custom ones

Tech stack: Next.js 14 (App Router), Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI, deployed on Cloudflare Pages. Each category is a static TypeScript data file with kaomoji,tags, and popularity scores — no database needed for the main content.

The tricky part was organizing 300+ data files by category while keeping Japanese cultural context intact (e.g., dogeza, banzai, otsukaresama have specific meanings that don't translate directly).

Everything is free, no signup required. Would love feedback on the UX and category organization!

https://www.kaomojiya.org/

Similar Projects

Other●Mid

Whirligig

Calendar UI for gig discovery when Bandsintown and Dice already dominate.

Cozy
idiocache
201d ago
Other●Mid

10k+ Funny Quotes

Yet another quote database when dozens of free alternatives already exist.

Cozy
hackerbeat
107d ago