No, I'm talking about the Launcher itself, though since the bulleted folders are displayed in the Launcher (as well as the Launcher Items folder) as just folders (and not the hoped-for category buttons), the Launcher and the Launcher Items folder look almost the same.

Yes, I'm entering the bullet with the keystroke Option+8 (though I'm using a Windows keyboard, so I'm actually pressing Alt instead of Option). Entering bullets works the same in both English and Japanese input modes.

I tried creating a bullet-named folder on my desktop and dropping it into the Launcher, but the result was the same as when I created bullet-named folders in the Launcher Items folder.

I also experimented with a couple abandonware launchers that I found here in the Garden, Square One and X-Launch, but was disappointed that neither one handles categories like I want.

I think I'm going to try a suggestion I read somewhere (is it your idea, MikeTomTom? I can't find the original reference) to create Finder folders for each program category, make aliases for the relevant programs, put the aliases in the category folders, then keep the category folders as tabs by moving the folders to the bottom edge of the screen (what are tabbed folders like that called?) instead of using the Launcher.