🙏

• Vendor: au by KDDI / Version: Type D-3 / 2005
• 🙏 Folded Hands on au by KDDI Type D-3
• 
• Vendor: au by KDDI / Version: Type D-1 / 2003
• 🙏 Folded Hands on au by KDDI Type D-1

Unicode Character 'Person with Folded Hands' (U+1F64F)

• Proposed in L2/09-026 (2009)
  • 
• 🙏 Folded Hands Emoji

The "🙏" emoji, often used to express gratitude, respect, or a request for a favor in digital communication, has a particular significance in Japanese culture. It resembles the gesture of putting one's palms together in front of their face or chest, known as "[gassho](/ja/gassho)"([合掌](/ja/%E5%90%88%E6%8E%8C)) in Japanese. This gesture is deeply rooted in [Buddhist](/ja/Buddhist) practices, commonly observed in Japan, where it is used during prayer and meditation to show reverence and humility.

In Japan, the gassho pose is not limited to religious contexts. It is also a common way to greet someone, express gratitude, apologize, or request something politely. The action conveys respect and sincerity without the need for words. When used in social interactions, it demonstrates a depth of emotion and consideration for the other person, embodying a sense of mindfulness and respect that is central to Japanese etiquette.

The "🙏" emoji, therefore, can carry various meanings depending on the context, from a simple thank you or please to a deeper expression of apology or heartfelt request, reflecting its cultural roots in Japan's traditions of respect and humility.

It called `:pray:` in Slack and many services. As a native Japanese, I feel [IWAKAN](/ja/IWAKAN). I feel it's a bit odd to call this emoji a "pray." This emoji is used to express thanks when someone teaches me something, or to say sorry for a mistake and thank you for pointing it out. With the increasing use of the 🙇 emoji for apologies, the 🙏 emoji is more often used to express gratitude.

Some people says it is "high five emoji." I'm tolerant of people from cultures where high-fiving is common using this emoji to represent that action. But I feel that ignoring historical facts and calling this a high-five emoji is an act of cultural invasion. You can use it as high-five emoji in your small community, but it is not high-five emoji in the international standard, it is folded hands emoji. Detailed explanation about the issue: Emojiology: 🙏 Folded Hands

[Discovering Japan](/ja/Discovering%20Japan)