1.
emphasis dots; side dots placed beside characters in Japanese text to mark stress or importance
Small dots placed alongside individual characters in Japanese writing to draw attention to them, functioning similarly to italics or bold in English. In vertical text they appear to the right of the character; in horizontal text they appear above.
Composed of 傍 (beside) + 点 (dot). A typographical term essential for reading Japanese literature. In vertical writing, dots appear to the right of each character; in horizontal writing, they appear above. The most common dot shape is a filled circle (●), but sesame dots (﹅) and other shapes are also used.
Unlike bold or italics in English, 傍点 are placed on individual characters rather than changing the font style. They are especially common in novels, manga, and editorial writing to convey tone, irony, or emphasis that would be expressed through stress in spoken Japanese.