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

&#xD83C;&#xDE33;

Specifications

Vendor Twitter/X

Category Symbols

Subcategory alphanum

Unicode Version 6.0

Emoji Version 1.0

License CC-BY 4.0

Twemoji Attribution

Emoji graphics by Twitter/X, licensed under CC-BY 4.0

Twemoji graphics are licensed under CC-BY 4.0. You must provide appropriate credit when redistributing or modifying these assets.

CC-BY 4.0 License Twemoji Repository