Overview
Expressions (表情, hyōjō) are act of expressing or manifesting emotions and sentiments through facial expressions and other outward appearances and gestures. This conveys the emotional state of an individual to the viewer.
Facial expressions are considered a form of nonverbal communication. It is an important means of communicating social information among humans and in most mammals and some other animals. Humans can also use facial expressions spontaneously. However, most are closely linked to emotions and are done unconsciously. Certain facial expressions are very difficult to suppress, even when it is desirable to do so.
Some facial expressions, especially satisfaction and anger, are quite precise in their intentions, even between organisms of different species. On the other hand, other facial expressions can be difficult to interpret even among intimate individuals. Because facial expressions are expressed by movements of small parts of the face, they require considerable sensitivity to read.
