From Namiko Abe,
Your Guide to Japanese Language.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Is your computer able to display Japanese characters? Do you wish to write Japanese characters with your computer?

There are several ways to display Japanese characters depending on your operating system. In some cases you need to install special Japanese language software on your computer. Here is some configuration information and software that you might want to try.

Even if you don’t have Japanese language software installed, most browsers today can display Japanese characters with the instructions below.

• For Internet Explorer

1. Go to "View," and the "Encoding"
2. Select "Japanese (Auto-Select)"

• For Netscapte or Firefox

1. Go to "View," and then "Character Encoding"
2. Select "Auto-Detect," and then "Japanese"

If re-configuring your browser doesn’t work, have a look through these software options:

• Declan Software - Installing the Japanese IME
• The Web KANZAKI: Using Japanese characters on you computer
• Kiko-Net: Description for Japanese
• Japanese Text Initiative: Accessing Japanese Character Texts on the Web
• How to display Japanese characters on Firefox

You can type in Japanese with non-Japanese software such as English word processing software or English mail software. To learn how to type Japanese, try the link below.

• CosCom: Typing Japanese using a non-Japanese keyboard