[aa-jv]

Maybe whats special about them is that in spite of their lack of beauty they have nevertheless become widely adopted by a society very keyed toward symbolic representation, and in that context whether or not you find them beautiful is irrelevant to the broader discussion, which is that symbols are social and only perpetuate because the culture which originates them finds them aesthetically appealing, useful, and necessary to the function of that culture.

>Don't get me wrong, I like Japan but while these icons look nice, don't most symbols already speak without words?

Yes? No? Whats your point? This is an interesting article about some beautiful cultural symbols. What is so wrong with you that you feel you have to degrade it?