Japanese “vacancy” button Emoji
Symbols
A square red button featuring the white Japanese kanji for 'empty' or 'vacancy.' The character, 空, is the same used in the word for 'sky,' implying a space that is currently unoccupied and ready to be filled.
Usage Context
This sign is frequently seen on storefronts, hotel lobbies, or parking garages across Japan to indicate that a room, seat, or space is available for use. In digital chats, it is often used to signal that the sender is free to talk or has space in their schedule, acting as the opposite of the 🈵 'no vacancy' sign.
History
This emoji was added to the Unicode standard to support international business communication, specifically for travelers navigating Japanese infrastructure. Its inclusion allowed mobile devices to translate real-world signage directly into text-based messages, bridging the gap between physical travel and digital communication.
Details
Glyph
🈳
Unicode
U+1F233
Shortcode
:emoji_u1f233:
HTML Entity
��
Specifications
Vendor Google
Category Symbols
Subcategory alphanum
Unicode Version 6.0
Emoji Version 1.0
License CC-BY 4.0
Google Noto License
Emoji graphics by Twitter/X, licensed under CC-BY 4.0
Noto Color Emoji graphics are copyrighted by Google Inc. and licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. Font files may also be subject to the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1.
Related Symbols Emojis
