First, it was available in Japan. Then, it was available everywhere by jailbreaking. After that, came a file change hack for the legit iPhone software. Now, Emoji icons can be found in the App Store. You can head on over to your local iTunes Store at any time and download the $0.99 FrostyPlace application to get this keyboard on your iPhone. Be warned, though, that this app may not be up for very long and that it is in Tawaiinese; two restrictions that make Emoji icons on US iPhones not 100% feasible for all users yet. Where are they for us, Apple?

Along with the goodies in the iPhone 2.2 update that was received by all, Japan got something a little more special. Their update also featured Emoji icons, which are basically animated smileys in your text messages and other places. We don’t really know why Apple only included these in Japan, but Steven Troughton-Smith in Dublin, Ireland has found a solution that will allow everyone to get those icons. If you’re afraid of editing some important files on your phone, we wouldn’t recommend trying this.