How to Type in Japanese on Windows, Mac, and Phone

Typing Japanese requires no special hardware — just a free system feature called an IME(Input Method Editor) that converts your keystrokes into kana and kanji. Setting it up takes about two minutes on every platform. Here's exactly how, plus the basics of using it once it's on.

Windows 10 / 11

1. Open Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region.
2. Click Add a language, search for 日本語 (Japanese), and install it. You can untick "Set as my Windows display language" — you're adding input, not changing the UI.
3. Switch input languages with Win + Space.
4. Within Japanese mode, toggle between typing romaji→kana and plain letters with the 半角/全角 key — on a US keyboard, press Alt + ` (backtick).

macOS

1. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Edit.
2. Click +, choose Japanese — Romaji, and add it.
3. Switch input sources with the globe key (or Ctrl + Space).
4. macOS converts as you type ("live conversion"). If you prefer manual control, turn Live Conversion off in the input source settings and convert with the space bar.

iPhone / iPad

1. Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Japanese.
2. Choose Romaji (QWERTY) and/or Kana — the kana option is the 12-key flick keyboard most Japanese people use on phones.
3. Switch keyboards with the globe icon while typing.

Android

1. Install or open Gboard, then Settings → Languages → Add keyboard → Japanese.
2. Pick the layout: QWERTY for romaji input or 12-key for flick input.
3. Switch with the globe/language key.

Using the IME: the conversion loop

Typing Japanese is a three-beat rhythm you'll internalize within a day:

1. Type romaji — it appears as hiragana: nihongo → にほんご.
2. Press Space to convert to kanji: 日本語. Press Space again to cycle through other candidates (２本後…), since many words share a reading.
3. Press Enter to confirm, or just keep typing — confirmation happens automatically.

Useful extras: F7converts what you've typed to katakana (handy for names and loanwords), and Esc cancels a conversion gone wrong. If your text comes out as nihongoin plain letters, you're in direct-input mode — hit the toggle from step 4 of your platform's setup.

Which layout should a learner choose?

Romaji input on QWERTY, without hesitation. It's what the vast majority of Japanese people use, it requires zero new key positions, and — most importantly for a learner — it drills the readings of everything you type. The 12-key flick layout is worth learning later for phone speed, but everything transfers from romaji typing; nothing transfers back.

The only knowledge romaji input demands is the spelling rules: shi/chi/tsu, doubled consonants for っ, and nn for ん — all covered in our hiragana typing guide and っ/ん guide.

Troubleshooting the common snags

• My typing comes out as plain letters.You're in the Japanese keyboard but in direct-input (alphanumeric) mode. Hit the kana toggle — Alt+` on Windows, the かな key or globe on Mac.
• I get ｗｉｄｅ　ｌｅｔｔｅｒｓ.That's full-width alphanumeric mode, a relic you almost never want. Switch back to hiragana mode via the IME icon in your taskbar/menu bar.
• The wrong kanji keeps winning. Convert shorter chunks. IMEs guess better with a word or short phrase than with a whole sentence, and they learn your choices over time.
• ん keeps eating my vowels. Type nn for ん — the single-n shortcut is exactly what causes こんいちは-style typos.

Practice without touching your settings

One last point: you don't need any of this setup to start practicing. The drills on this site convert romaji to kana in the browser, so you can build your typing and reading skills first, then set up the system IME when you're ready to chat, search, and write in Japanese for real.