Pine Decoration Emoji

A kadomatsu (門松, 'gate pine'), the traditional Japanese decoration placed at entrances for New Year (shōgatsu, 正月). Three diagonally cut bamboo stalks of different heights rise out of a bundle of pine boughs, often tied with a woven straw rope. Homes, shops, shrines, and hotels set up pairs of kadomatsu at their gates: one on the left, one on the right.

Kadomatsu is a yorishiro, a physical landing place for a kami. Specifically, it's temporary housing for Toshigami (年神), the Shinto deity of the new year, who descends from the mountains to bless each household. The three bamboo heights are usually said to represent heaven, humanity, and earth.

Each plant is symbolic. Pine (matsu, 松) represents longevity and endurance, the tree stays green through winter. Bamboo (take, 竹) represents strength and growth because it springs back after heavy snow. Plum branches (ume, 梅), added in some arrangements, represent renewal and the first spring bloom. Together the trio is called shōchikubai, pine-bamboo-plum, a classic Japanese auspicious set.

Kadomatsu go up between December 26 and 28 and come down at the end of matsunouchi (松の内, 'within the pine'), which ends January 7 in Tokyo and eastern Japan, January 15 in Kyoto and western Japan. They are often burned in a shrine bonfire called Dondoyaki, which sends Toshigami back to the sky with the smoke.

Approved in Unicode 6.0 (2010) as U+1F38DU+1F38D PINE DECORATION.

🎍 spikes from mid-December through the first week of January on Japanese social media, paired with New Year greetings (あけましておめでとう) and year-end posts. It appears next to 🎍 photos of decorated doorways, front-of-restaurant displays, and elaborate corporate lobby arrangements.

Outside Japan, the emoji is often mistaken for general bamboo or a houseplant. Most Western users don't recognize the kadomatsu silhouette, and Apple's design (stylized bamboo shoots in a bowl) doesn't make the cultural reference obvious. You will occasionally see it used in year-end posts from Japan fans, anime watchers, and travelers who spent New Year in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Within Japanese text, 🎍 also shows up alongside 🎍🎍 to represent the traditional pair flanking a gate, or with 🎍🌅 (kadomatsu + first sunrise of the year) for hatsuhinode, and 🎍🍵 or 🎍🍡 for the foods eaten during the three-day shōgatsu holiday.

Kadomatsu's origins trace to the late Heian period (794-1185), when aristocratic households began placing pine branches at their gates during New Year to welcome Toshigami, the Shinto deity of the incoming year. Pine was chosen because its evergreen needles were seen as proof the tree had spiritual life even in winter, making it a good landing spot for a kami.

Bamboo joined the arrangement during the Muromachi period (1336-1573). Its upright growth and ability to bend under snow without breaking made it a symbol of resilience. The three-height cut (heaven, humanity, earth) and the angled chop that exposes the inner bamboo 'smile' developed later.

By the Edo period (1603-1868), kadomatsu had spread from samurai and noble households to the whole population. Commoners in Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto set up pine-and-bamboo decorations that looked essentially identical to the ones you see today outside hotel lobbies and bank branches.

The ending ritual is just as old. Dondoyaki, the community bonfire where old kadomatsu and shimekazari are burned, typically happens between January 14 and 18. The rising smoke is believed to carry Toshigami back to the mountain realm until next year. People often roast mochi over the flames, a tradition said to bring a year of good health.

Approved in Unicode 6.0 (2010) as U+1F38DU+1F38D PINE DECORATION. Part of the original Japanese-carrier emoji set from the late 1990s, included in Unicode without modification.

1. 1100Late Heian period: aristocratic households place pine branches at gates to welcome Toshigami, the New Year deity
2. 1400Muromachi period: bamboo joins the arrangement as a symbol of resilience and growth
3. 1700Edo period: the modern three-bamboo kadomatsu form becomes standard among commoners↗
4. 2010Unicode 6.0 approves U+1F38D PINE DECORATION↗

The biggest split in modern kadomatsu practice is the end date. In Kanto (Tokyo, eastern Japan) and most of Kyushu, kadomatsu come down on the evening of January 6 or 7, the end of matsunouchi. In Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, western Japan) they stay up until January 15, the Little New Year (Koshōgatsu). Ask a Kyoto grandmother about taking the decorations down on January 7 and you will get a mild look of disapproval.

There is a strict taboo on two dates when kadomatsu should NOT be set up. December 29 is avoided because '29' (niju-ku) sounds like 'double suffering' in Japanese. December 31 is avoided because putting up a decoration the night before New Year is called ichiya-kazari (一夜飾り, 'one-night decoration'), which is considered disrespectful to the deity, like throwing a last-minute welcome. The preferred date is December 28, a number that reads as 'double prosperity.'

Outside Japan, kadomatsu are common in Japanese-American and Japanese-Brazilian communities, especially in Hawaii and São Paulo, where they have shaped local Japanese New Year celebrations for over a century.

• •The exposed diagonal cut on each bamboo stalk is called sogi (そぎ) and is said to show a 'smiling mouth.' The style was popularized by the samurai during the Edo period and is now the most common form seen today.
• •Three ways to set up a kadomatsu, depending on height order: heaven-humanity-earth (classic), the reverse form used for specific ceremonies, and a flat-topped version where only one stalk is angle-cut.
• •Pine, bamboo, and plum together form shōchikubai (松竹梅), one of the most auspicious sets in East Asian decoration. The three also form a traditional pricing scheme at restaurants (pine = best, bamboo = middle, plum = cheapest), based on the sequence of fortune.
• •December 28 is the preferred setup date because the number 28 (二十八) reads as 'double prosperity' (二 for double, 八 for fortune, since 八 fans out like a widening path).
• •Modern Tokyo department stores compete for the most elaborate kadomatsu. Isetan, Mitsukoshi, and Takashimaya arrangements often stand six to eight feet tall and feature painted signs or branded ribbons on top of the traditional elements.
• •Kadomatsu arrived in Hawaii with the first wave of Japanese immigrants in the late 1800s and has been continuously practiced there ever since. PBS Hawaii still produces annual kadomatsu-making tutorials for local viewers.
• •In the Sendai region, kadomatsu historically wrapped the whole gate in pine branches rather than using freestanding arrangements. That older style is still visible in rural Tohoku today.

• •Department store displays: Isetan, Mitsukoshi, and Takashimaya compete every late December for the most photogenic kadomatsu. Locals and tourists alike make rounds to see which store built the biggest pair. The displays often feature painted zodiac plaques on top.
• •Hawaii's kadomatsu tradition: Japanese immigrants to Hawaii brought kadomatsu with them in the 1880s and the tradition has been continuously practiced for over 140 years. PBS Hawaii still airs annual making-tutorials.
• •Studio Ghibli background detail: Kadomatsu appear in multiple Studio Ghibli films as quiet seasonal markers during New Year scenes, anchoring the setting to late December.