Japanese input methods are the methods used to input Japanese characters on a computer. The IBM ThinkCentre A Series is a popular line of computers. ...

There are two main methods of inputting Japanese on computers. One is via a romanized version of Japanese called rōmaji (literally "Roman letters"), and the other is via keyboard keys corresponding to the Japanese kana. Some systems may also work via a graphical user interface, or GUI, where the characters are chosen by clicking on buttons or image maps. In linguistics, romanization (or Latinization, also spelled romanisation or Latinisation) is the representation of a word or language with the Roman (Latin) alphabet, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system. ... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 Category Rōmaji (ローマ字 Roman characters, sometimes misunderstood as romanji in English), is a Japanese... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Manyogana 万葉仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 For other meanings of Kana, see Kana (disambiguation). ... A graphical user interface (or GUI, often pronounced gooey) is a method of interacting with a computer through a metaphor of direct manipulation of graphical images and widgets in addition to text. ...

Japanese keyboards

Two Japanese keyboards from Fujitsu FMV and Sony Vaio computers

Japanese keyboards have both kana and Roman letters indicated. The JIS, or Japanese Industrial Standard, keyboard layout keeps the Roman letters in the usual qwerty layout, with numbers above them. Many of the non-alphanumeric symbols are the same as on English-language keyboards, but some symbols are located in other places. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1296 KB) Summary Photo by B.K. Bullock of two Japanese keyboards. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1296 KB) Summary Photo by B.K. Bullock of two Japanese keyboards. ... Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) specifies the standards used for industrial activities in Japan. ... The QWERTY Layout QWERTY (pronounced ) is the most common modern-day keyboard layout on most English language computer and typewriter keyboards. ... Generally speaking, the term alphanumeric refers to anything that consists of only letters and numbers. ...

The kana symbols are also ordered in a consistent way across different keyboards. For example, the Q W E R T Y keys correspond to た て い す か ん (Ta Te I Su Ka N') when the computer is used for direct kana input. These types of keyboards are rarely found outside of Japan, however, there is no special hardware requirement for a user to input Japanese via the romaji input method. Most newer operating systems allow this function, even when the operating system itself is in English or another non-Japanese language. An operating system (OS) is a software program that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Input keys

Since Japanese input requires switching between Roman and kana entry modes, and also conversion between kana and kanji (as discussed below), there are usually several special keys on the keyboard. This varies from computer to computer, and some OS vendors have striven to provide a consistent user interface regardless of the type of keyboard being used. On non-Japanese keyboards, option- or control- key sequences can do all of the tasks mentioned below. Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 Kanji ( ) are the Chinese characters (Hanzi) that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名) and the Roman alphabet. ... The user interface is the part of a system exposed to users. ... The Option key, also known as Alt key is a modifier key present on Apple Macintosh keyboards. ... A Control key (marked Ctrl) on a modern Windows keyboard In computing, a Control key is a key, which when pressed in conjunction with another key, will perform a special operation. ...

On most Japanese keyboards, one key switches between Roman characters and Japanese characters. Sometimes, each mode (Roman, and Japanese) may even have its own key, in order to prevent ambiguity when the user is typing quickly.

There may also be a key to instruct the computer to convert the latest kana characters into kanji, although usually the space key serves the same purpose since Japanese writing is devoid of spaces.

Some keyboards have a mode key to switch from the different types of kana being entered. Hiragana, katakana, halfwidth katakana, halfwidth Roman letters, and fullwidth Roman letters are some of the options. A typical Japanese character is twice as wide as a typical Roman character. That is what is meant by halfwidth and fullwidth. Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 Hiragana ) are a Japanese syllabary, one of the four Japanese writing systems, along with katakana, kanji and rōmaji (i. ... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 Katakana (片仮名) are a Japanese syllabary, one of the four Japanese writing systems. ...

Finally, a keyboard may have a special key to tell the OS that the last kana entered should not be converted to kanji. Sometimes this is just the Return/Enter key.

Mobile phones

Japanese mobile phone keypad (Model Vodafone V902T)

The system used to input Japanese on mobile phones is based on the numerical keypad. Each number is associated with a particular sequence of kana, such as ka, ki, ku, ke, ko for '2', and the button is pressed repeatedly to get the correct kana. Dakuten and handakuten marks, punctuation, and other symbols can be added by other buttons in the same way. Kana to kanji conversion is done via the arrow and other keys. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (480x640, 109 KB) Summary Photo of w:V902T mobile phone keypad by B.K. Bullock. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (480x640, 109 KB) Summary Photo of w:V902T mobile phone keypad by B.K. Bullock. ... Vodafone Group plc is a British mobile phone operator headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, England, is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover and has a market value of about $134 billion (June 2006). ... Japanese mobile phone keypad (Model Vodafone V902T) The Toshiba TS921 (Vodafone 902T in Japan) is a Vodafone 3G model mobile phone manufactured by Toshiba. ... Dakuten (濁点), colloquially ten-ten (dot dot), is a diacritic sign most often used in the Japanese kana syllabaries to indicate that the consonant of a syllable should be pronounced voiced. ... Dakuten (濁点), colloquially ten-ten (dot dot), is a diacritic sign most often used in the Japanese kana syllabaries to indicate that the consonant of a syllable should be pronounced voiced. ...

Kana to kanji conversion

After the kana have been input, they are either left as they are, or converted into kanji. The Japanese language has many homonyms, and conversion of a kana spelling (representing the pronunciation) into a kanji (representing the meaning of the word) is often a one-to-many process. The kana to kanji converter offers a list of candidate kanji writings for the input kana, and the user may use the space bar or arrow keys to scroll through the list of candidates until he or she reaches the correct writing. On reaching the correct written form, pressing the Enter, or sometimes the "henkan", key ends the conversion process. This selection can also be controlled through the GUI with a mouse or other pointer device.

If the hiragana is required, pressing the Enter key immediately after the characters are entered will end the conversion process and results in the hiragana as typed. If katakana is required, it is usually presented as an option along with the kanji choices. Alternatively, on some keyboards, pressing the muhenkan (無変換, muhenkan^?) (literally "no conversion") button switches between katakana or hiragana.

Sophisticated kana to kanji converters (known collectively as input method editors, or IME, after the name of the Microsoft product), allow conversion of multiple kana words into kanji at once, freeing the user from having to do a conversion at each stage. The user can convert at any stage of input by pressing the space bar or henkan button, and the converter attempts to guess the correct division of words. Some IME programs display a brief definition of each word in order to help the user choose the correct kanji. An IME for inputting Japanese characters in Mac OS 9 An input method editor (IME) is a program or operating system component that allows computer users to enter complex characters and symbols (such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Tibetan characters), using a standard Western keyboard. ...

Sometimes the kana to kanji converter may guess the correct kanji for all the words, but if it does not, the cursor (arrow) keys may be used to move backwards and forwards between candidate words. If the selected word boundaries are incorrect, the word boundaries can be moved using the control key plus the arrow keys.

Learning systems

Modern systems learn the user's preferences for conversion and put the most recently selected candidates at the top of the conversion list, and also remember which words the user is likely to use when considering word boundaries.

Jump-ahead systems

The systems used on mobile phones go even further, and try to guess entire phrases or sentences. After a few kana have been entered, the phone automatically offers entire phrases or sentences as possible completion candidates, jumping beyond what has been input. This is usually based on words sent in previous messages.

Mac OS X has Kotoeri as a standard input system as it was in previous versions. Mac OS X is a proprietary operating system developed and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. ...

The most popular conversion system for open-source Unices is Canna. Unix or UNIX is a computer operating system originally developed in the 1960s and 1970s by a group of AT&T Bell Labs employees including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and Douglas McIlroy. ...

See also

• Japanese language and computers
• Wāpuro rōmaji
• Wabun Code - Japanese Morse code
• Chinese input methods for computers