Wakabayashi Yasushi is a Japanese designer, known as the creator of the first Kaomoji. He used (^_^) to replicate a facial expression. Despite not creating the design until 1986, a number of years after the American Scott Fahlman, it is believed that the concepts evolved completely independently of each other.[1] This is despite them both using ASCII characters.
It kickstarted a movement in Japan, which later spread to other parts of the world.[2] It was frequently used in anime in the 90s and 2000s.[3]
His design and the impression that Kaomoji had on Japanese culture, also lead to a rise in other Asian countries creating their own versions based on Yasushi's concept.[4] Keurim mal in South Korea in the 1990s is one such example.