A yak outside a Tokyo convenience store at night with a phone, header for the Japanese typing guide

How to Type Japanese on Any Device

You type romaji. The keyboard turns nihongo into にほんご. Space offers kanji, 日本語. Enter or Return confirms.

Skip the kana flick keyboard until you want it. Beginners are faster in romaji.

You typeThenYou get
nihongonothing yetにほんご
nihongoSpace日本語
nihongoSpace againother candidates
the candidateEnter or Returnthe word, confirmed
DeviceSwitch
iPhoneGlobe key
AndroidGlobe key, or hold the space bar
WindowsWindows key + Space
MacControl-Space, or the menu bar
ChromebookThe shelf menu by the clock

iPhone

  1. Open Settings, then General, then Keyboard, then Keyboards.
  2. Tap Add New Keyboard, then Japanese, then Romaji.
  3. Tap the globe, type nihongo, and tap 日本語 in the bar.

English suggestions and no Japanese means you have not switched.

How to Type Japanese on iPhone in 5 Easy Steps

Android

Gboard is the path the full guide uses.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap System or General management, whichever the phone shows.
  3. Tap Keyboard or On-screen keyboard, then Gboard, then Languages, then Add keyboard.
  4. Choose Japanese, and QWERTY for romaji. 12-key is the kana layout.

Samsung Keyboard uses its own language list. Add Japanese there. The labels differ by model.

How to Type Japanese on Android in a Few Quick Taps

Windows

Add Japanese in the language settings. The keyboard that matters is Microsoft IME. You do not need a Japanese physical keyboard.

Windows key + Space switches. If the indicator says A, you are typing Latin letters and nothing will convert. Hiragana mode shows あ. Type nihongo, press Space for 日本語, press Space again for other candidates, press Enter to confirm.

How to Type Japanese on Windows Without Getting Lost

Mac

  1. Open System Settings, then Keyboard.
  2. Under Text Input, click Edit.
  3. Add Japanese, and choose Japanese – Romaji.
  4. Turn on the Input menu in the menu bar.

Control-Space switches. Type nihongo, Space, Return. Live Conversion rewrites the text while you are still typing. Turn it off at first if that feels jumpy.

How to Type Japanese on Mac with Beginner Settings

Chromebook

  1. Open Settings, then Languages and inputs.
  2. Open Inputs or Input methods, and add Japanese.
  3. Use the shelf menu by the clock to switch.

Romaji in, Space to convert, Enter to confirm. If it still types English, switch again. Menu names move a little between updates. The longer guide has the slower version of the same path.

How to Type Japanese on Chromebook and Browser Tools

Lessons: Japanese lessons. Cards: Yak Cards.