How to Type in Japanese: Complete Guide on Japanese Input Methods and Settings

Knowing how to type in Japanese can make your Japanese learning more resourceful and simpler! Once you get it down, you can search for stuff online, chat with Japanese speakers, and create flashcards way faster than handwriting everything. Good news: you don't need a special Japanese keyboard to type Japanese. Your normal keyboard works perfectly fine, and I'll show you exactly how to set it up and start typing.

Understanding Japanese input methods

Before we dive into the setup, let me explain how Japanese typing actually works. You'll be using something called an IME (Input Method Editor). This is software that converts your regular keyboard input into Japanese characters.

The most common way to type Japanese is using romaji (), which means you type Roman letters that get converted into hiragana, katakana, or kanji. For example, when you type "a" on your keyboard, it appears as "あ". Type "ka" and you get "か". Pretty straightforward.

There's also a kana input method where each key on your keyboard corresponds to a specific hiragana character, but honestly, most people use romaji input because it's way more intuitive if you already know a QWERTY keyboard layout.

Setting up Japanese input on Windows

Let me walk you through the Windows setup first since that's what most people use.

Most of the time, you'll be in hiragana mode. That's your default for typing Japanese.

Setting up Japanese input on Mac

Mac makes this pretty easy too.

Go to System Settings, then Keyboard, then Input Sources. Click the plus button to add a new input source. Scroll down to Japanese and add "Romaji" or "Kana" (pick Romaji unless you specifically want kana input).

To switch between input methods on Mac, press Control + Space depending on your settings. You'll see a flag icon in your menu bar showing which input method is active.

How to type Japanese characters on a keyboard

Alright, now that you're set up, let's get into the actual typing mechanics.

Basic hiragana input

Switch to Japanese input mode (Hiragana). Start typing romaji and watch it convert to hiragana automatically:

For small characters like っ (Small tsu), you double the consonant. Type "kitte" and you get "きって".

For long vowels, just type the vowel twice. "Okaasan" becomes "おかあさん" (Mother).

Converting to kanji

Here's where it gets interesting. After you type something in hiragana, you press Space to convert it to kanji. The IME will show you a list of possible kanji conversions.

Let's say you type "nihon" (にほん). Press Space and you'll see options like:

Use the arrow keys or number keys to select the correct conversion, then press Enter to confirm. The IME gets smarter over time and learns which conversions you use most often.

Typing katakana

You can type in romaji and convert to katakana in a couple ways. After typing something in hiragana, press F7 (On Windows) or Control + K (On Mac) to convert it to katakana. Or you can switch your input mode to katakana directly from the IME toolbar.

For example, type "ko-hi-" (コーヒー) for coffee. The dash creates the long vowel mark in katakana.

Common typing patterns you need to know

Some Japanese sounds don't map perfectly to English romaji, so here are the key combinations:

Small Characters:

Special Sounds:

Long Vowels:

Typing numbers and punctuation in Japanese

Japanese uses some different punctuation marks and number formats.

Punctuation:

Numbers: For reference, the numbers 1 through 10 in Japanese are:

Tips for faster Japanese typing

Once you've got the basics down, here are some ways to speed things up:

Learn the keyboard shortcuts

Every IME has shortcuts that make typing way faster:

On Mac, these are usually Control + J, K, L, etc.

Use predictive text

Modern IMEs predict what you're trying to type. After typing a few characters, the IME might suggest complete words or phrases. Press Space to accept suggestions.

Practice touch typing

If you really want to get fast, practice touch typing in Japanese. There are some good Japanese touch typing sites out there. Personally, I found typing practice games helpful when I was starting out. The muscle memory develops pretty quickly once you start using it regularly.

Customize your IME dictionary

You can add custom words to your IME dictionary. If you type certain names, technical terms, or phrases frequently, register them so they convert correctly every time.

Making Japanese input part of your learning

Typing Japanese isn't just a technical skill. It actually reinforces your understanding of how Japanese works. You start to internalize which kanji go with which words, how particles function, and proper word spacing (or lack thereof, since Japanese doesn't use spaces between words the same way English does).

When you're creating flashcards for vocabulary, typing them yourself instead of copying and pasting makes the words stick better. You're engaging with the language more actively.

Anyway, if you want to level up your Japanese learning beyond just typing, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while reading Japanese websites or watching content. You can create flashcards directly from what you're reading, which beats typing everything manually. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Now you can chat freely with your Japanese friends with phones as well!

The logic and method of typing apply the same to a laptop and a phone keyboard. All you need to do is set your phone's language to Japanese or install a Japanese IME on your phone. Then, you can freely type Japanese to search for your favorite manga or video online. This is an easy way for you to find Japanese resources on the Internet and consume real Japanese content!

Typing can open many doors for your Japanese learning!