Twitter Enthronement Ceremony Emoji

Concept Development / Emoji design

On October 22nd, 2019, a historic ceremony took place in which Emperor Naruhito proclaimed his enthronement as the 126th emperor of Japan. I was tasked to create Twitter’s special emoji to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event.

The concept behind the symbol was to use the national bird of Japan, a green pheasant. I used the shape circle of the national flag which also symbolizes eternity and unity. I aimed to capture the essence of Japanese art by drawing inspiration from Kamon, traditional emblems known for their geometric designs. This distinctive emoji gained widespread recognition, achieving over 10 million views, and 20,000 likes, and 6,000 retweets. It was embraced by Twitter users, media, and government offices including the prime minister of Japan, as a commemorative emblem for the occasion.

Agency: Designerds
Creative Direction: Dickson Bueno