View source for Henohenomoheji

{{Short description|Face drawn by Japanese schoolchildren using hiragana characters}}
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[[File:Henohenomoheji.svg|120px|right|thumb|{{transliteration|ja|Henohenomoheji}}]]
'''''Henohenomoheji''''' ({{langx|ja|へのへのもへじ}} {{Respell|HEH|noh|HEH|noh|moh|HEH|jee}}) or '''''hehenonomoheji''''' ({{lang|ja|へへののもへじ}}) is a face known to be drawn by [[Japanese person|Japanese]] [[schoolchild]]ren using [[hiragana]] characters.<ref name="japab">{{cite web |url=http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraculture29.htm |title=Let's Learn Hiragana with Japanese Culture: Henohenomoheji |website=Japanese.about.com |accessdate=2009-08-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828144503/http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraculture29.htm |archive-date=2014-08-28}}</ref> It became a popular drawing during the [[Edo period]].<ref name="natsue">{{cite book|first=Washizu|last=Natsue|author-link=Natsue Washizu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-KB88ua2UJUC&dq=%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E3%82%82%E3%81%B8%E3%81%98&pg=PA28|page=28|title=わらべうたとナーサリー・ライム|year=1997 |publisher=Banseisha |isbn=9784891882709 |language=ja}}</ref>

{{Annotated image
| image = Shoujo November 1910 with translation.jpg
| image-width = 400  <!-- choose any width, as you like it. It doesn't matter the factual width of the image-->
| image-left = -24   <!-- crop the left part. Be aware of the "-" minus symbol --> 
| image-top = -314   <!-- crop the upper part. Be aware of the "-" minus symbol -->
| width = 200        <!-- crop the right part. That will be the width of the image in the article -->
| height = 250       <!-- crop the below part. That will be the height of the image in the article -->
| float = right
| annotations =      <!-- empty or not, this parameter must be included -->
| caption = A {{transliteration|ja|henohenomoheji}} featuring in a [[manga]] panel in the 1910 issue of the Japanese girls' magazine ''{{transliteration|ja|Shōjo}}''
}}

==Composition==
The word breaks down into seven [[hiragana]] characters: ''he'' ({{lang|ja|へ}}), ''no'' ({{lang|ja|の}}), ''he'' ({{lang|ja|へ}}), ''no'' ({{lang|ja|の}}), ''mo'' ({{lang|ja|も}}), ''he'' ({{lang|ja|へ}}), and ''ji'' ({{lang|ja|じ}}). The first two ''he'' are the [[eyebrow]]s, the two ''no'' are the [[Human eye|eye]]s, the ''mo'' is a [[human nose|nose]], and the last ''he'' is the [[mouth]]. The outline of the face is made by the character ''ji'', its two short strokes (''[[dakuten]]'') forming the [[ear]] or [[cheek]].

Henohenomoheji is often used to symbolize an undistinguished or generic human face, such as the faces of ''kakashi'' ([[scarecrow]]s)<ref name="japab"/> and [[teru teru bōzu]]. The characters are often sung as they are drawn, making the {{transliteration|ja|henohenomoheji}} an {{nihongo3|drawing song|絵描き歌|ekaki uta}}.<ref name="natsue" />

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Henohenomoheji graffiti Oct 04 2020 02-52PM.jpeg | As a [[graffiti|graffito]]
へのへのもへ (19559421992).jpg | On a {{transliteration|ja|teru teru bōzu}}
Face of Japanese scarecrow.jpg | On a scarecrow
File:MET 10 211 1816 d.jpg | An early example as a detail on a {{transliteration|ja|[[netsuke]]}} from the 19th century
</gallery>

==See also==
* {{annotated link|ASCII art}}
* {{annotated link|Cool S}}
* {{annotated link|Emoticon}}
* {{annotated link|Kilroy was here}}
* {{annotated link|Smiley}}
* {{annotated link|Tête à Toto}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506132842/http://www.geocities.jp/n80da/moheji/moheji.html |date=May 6, 2015 |title=Henohenomoheji variations }} {{in lang|ja}}

{{Japan topics}}

[[Category:Japanese word games]]
[[Category:Doodling motifs]]


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