To add a Japanese keyboard in Windows 11, open Settings > Time & language > Language & region, select Add a language, choose Japanese, select Next, then select Install. Windows adds the Microsoft Japanese IME (input method editor). Press the Windows logo key + Spacebar to switch to it, make sure the mode icon on the taskbar shows あ instead of A, and type Japanese words in romaji. The IME turns them into hiragana, and the Spacebar converts them to kanji.
Applies to: Windows 11 with the built-in Microsoft Japanese IME. Checked against Microsoft Support and Microsoft Learn on October 7, 2026.
What you need before you start
- A regular keyboard is fine. You don’t need a keyboard with Japanese keys. Microsoft lists shortcuts that stand in for the extra keys on a Japanese keyboard, such as the hiragana and Eisu keys, so a standard US keyboard can do everything described here.
- No change to your Windows display language. Microsoft notes that if you only want to enter Japanese text while keeping your current display language, none of the optional language features are necessary. Your menus stay in English.
- An internet connection. Windows downloads the Japanese language components when you select Install, so stay online until it finishes.
- A little romaji. You type the sound of a Japanese word in Latin letters (romaji), and the IME offers the matching hiragana, katakana or kanji.
How to add the Japanese keyboard in Windows 11
- Select Start > Settings, then select Time & language on the Settings page. The Time & language page opens.
- Select Language & region. You’ll see your current Windows display language and a Preferred languages list.
- Next to Preferred languages, select Add a language. A Choose a language to install window opens.
- Type Japanese in the search box, select Japanese in the results, then select Next. The Install language features page appears.
- Review the Optional language features. To type Japanese and keep English menus, leave Set as my Windows display language cleared. Extra features are optional; you can skip them.
- Select Install and wait. Japanese appears in your Preferred languages list once the download and installation finish.
Check that Microsoft IME was added
Japanese normally arrives with its keyboard, called Microsoft IME. To confirm it:
- Go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
- Select the three dots (…) next to Japanese, then select Language options.
- Look under Keyboards. You should see Microsoft IME. If it isn’t listed, select Add a keyboard next to Installed keyboards and choose it from the list.
The same page is where you’ll later reach the IME’s own settings, covered below.
How to switch to Japanese input
Adding Japanese doesn’t change what your keyboard types until you switch to it. Use either method:
- Keyboard shortcut: hold the Windows logo key and press the Spacebar to cycle through your installed layouts. Stop on Japanese.
- Taskbar: select the input language icon near the clock in the system tray, then choose Japanese from the pop-up menu.
When Japanese is active, a second icon appears next to the language indicator. That mode icon shows A or あ, and it matters more than anything else in this guide:
- A means half-width alphanumeric input. You get ordinary English letters, even though the Japanese keyboard is selected.
- あ means hiragana input. Your keystrokes become Japanese characters.
Select the A icon to change it to あ, or press Alt + Back quote (`), the key to the left of 1 on a US keyboard. Press the same shortcut again to go back to English letters without leaving the Japanese keyboard.
If you only need to change keyboard layouts in general, for example between US and UK English, our guide on how to change the keyboard layout in Windows 11 covers that.
How to type in Japanese with the IME
Microsoft’s own example uses the word for spring, 春, which is read “haru”:
- Open Notepad or any text box and switch to the Japanese keyboard with Windows logo key + Spacebar.
- Make sure the mode icon shows あ. If it shows A, select it or press Alt + Back quote (`).
- Type haru with no spaces. The IME shows はる, and a candidate window may open with suggestions.
- Press the Spacebar once to convert はる into 春. Press it again to open the conversion candidate window if you want a different kanji.
- Press Enter to confirm. If you press Enter before converting, the word stays in hiragana.
In the candidate window, use the Down and Up arrow keys to move through the choices, or press the number shown next to a candidate to pick it. Tab expands the list into a table you can browse with the arrow keys, and Esc closes the window without choosing anything.
Romaji tips for beginners
The IME expects Japanese syllables, not English spelling. A few patterns trip up most new typists:
- Type shi for し, chi for ち and tsu for つ.
- Double the consonant to get a small っ: kitte becomes きって.
- Type nn for ん when the next letter is a vowel, so the IME doesn’t join the n to that vowel.
- Type longer phrases before you convert. With more context, the first candidate is more likely to be the kanji you want.
How to type katakana and full-width characters
You don’t have to change modes to type one katakana word. Type it in hiragana mode, then press a function key before Enter:
| Key | Converts what you typed to |
|---|---|
| F6 | Hiragana |
| F7 | Full-width katakana |
| F8 | Half-width katakana |
| F9 | Full-width alphanumeric |
| F10 | Half-width alphanumeric |
To stay in one mode for a longer passage, right-click the mode icon on the taskbar and choose Hiragana, Full-width Katakana, Full-width Alphanumeric, Half-width Katakana or Half-width Alphanumeric. Full-width characters take up the same space as a kana or kanji, so they line up neatly in Japanese text; half-width alphanumeric is ordinary English typing.
Kana input vs. romaji input
Everything above uses romaji input, where you spell sounds with Latin letters. The Microsoft IME also has a kana input option, which is aimed at people who type on Japanese keyboards. If you spell words in Latin letters on a US keyboard, stay with romaji input.
If your keys suddenly produce unexpected kana instead of the syllables you spelled, kana input may have been turned on. To switch back, right-click the mode icon, select IME toolbar, and use the toolbar’s option for switching between kana and romaji input. On a Japanese keyboard, you can also turn on Switch Kana/Romaji input with Alt + Katakana Hiragana Romaji key in the IME’s General settings and use that key combination.
Japanese IME shortcuts for a standard keyboard
These shortcuts come from Microsoft’s Japanese IME documentation and work on a US keyboard:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Windows logo key + Spacebar | Switch between installed keyboard layouts |
| Alt + Back quote (`) | Turn Japanese input on or off |
| Ctrl + Caps Lock | Acts as the hiragana key of a Japanese keyboard |
| Alt + Caps Lock | Acts as Shift + the hiragana key (katakana) |
| Shift + Caps Lock | Acts as the Eisu (alphanumeric) key |
| Ctrl + Delete | Remove the selected candidate from the prediction candidate window |
| Ctrl + B | Search for the selected prediction candidate |
| Tab | Expand or collapse the table view of conversion candidates |
| Windows logo key + period (.) | Open the emoji picker |
| Ctrl + Shift + F10 | Turn IME private mode on or off |
Change Microsoft Japanese IME settings
- Go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
- Select the three dots next to Japanese, then select Language options.
- Under Keyboards, select the three dots next to Microsoft IME, then select Keyboard options.
A quicker route is to right-click the IME options icon on the taskbar and select Settings. Useful settings include:
- General: Predictive Input options such as Use input history, Use system dictionary and Use suggestion services, plus Key and touch customization for changing what the IME keys do.
- Learning and Dictionary: Improve input accuracy based on what I type on this PC, Open the user dictionary tool for adding your own words and names, and System dictionaries.
Write a kanji you can’t read with the IME Pad
If you see a kanji but don’t know its reading, right-click the mode icon and select IME Pad. In Hand Writing (JA) mode, draw the character with your mouse, touchpad or pen in the left box, then select the matching character on the right to insert it. The pad also has Character List (JA) and Soft Keyboard (JA) modes.
How to remove the Japanese keyboard
To remove only the keyboard, open Language options for Japanese, select the three dots next to Microsoft IME under Keyboards, and select Remove. To remove Japanese entirely, select the three dots next to Japanese on the Language & region page, select Remove, then confirm with Yes.
If Remove is greyed out for a language, it’s your current Windows display language; change the display language first. If it’s greyed out for a keyboard, that keyboard is the only one installed for the display language; add another keyboard before removing it.
Troubleshooting
Japanese is selected, but I still get English letters
The mode icon is set to A. Select it so it shows あ, or press Alt + Back quote (`).
Japanese doesn’t appear when I press Windows logo key + Spacebar
If nothing happens, only one layout is installed. Go back to Language & region, confirm Japanese finished installing (it should be in Preferred languages without a download in progress), then check Language options > Keyboards for Microsoft IME. If the install stalled, remove Japanese, restart the PC and add it again while connected to the internet.
The IME behaves oddly or a program misbehaves with it
Microsoft offers a compatibility fallback: open the IME settings, select General, and turn on Use previous version of Microsoft IME. To report a problem, right-click the IME options icon and select Send Feedback.
Wrong kanji keeps appearing first
Press the Spacebar again to open the full candidate list and pick the right one; the IME can learn from what you pick (see the Learning and Dictionary settings). To delete an unwanted suggestion from the prediction list, highlight it and press Ctrl + Delete.
I can’t add a language on a work or school PC
Organizations can manage language settings on their devices. If Add a language is unavailable or the install fails on a managed PC, ask your IT department to add Japanese for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to change Windows to Japanese to type Japanese?
No. Adding Japanese input leaves your menus and apps in your current language. Only turn on Set as my Windows display language if you want Windows itself in Japanese, which requires signing out and back in to take effect.
How do I switch back to English quickly?
Press Alt + Back quote (`) to switch the IME to A mode for a few English words, or press Windows logo key + Spacebar to return to your English keyboard layout.
Do I need to buy a Japanese keyboard?
No. The Microsoft IME converts what you type on a standard keyboard, and the Caps Lock shortcuts in the table above cover the Japanese-only keys.
How do I type katakana?
Type the word in hiragana mode and press F7 before Enter, or right-click the mode icon and choose Full-width Katakana for longer text.
Is there a guide for Windows 10?
Yes. The steps and menu names differ, so follow our guide on how to type in Japanese on Windows 10.
Once Microsoft IME is installed, practice with a few short words in Notepad, and see Microsoft’s Microsoft Japanese IME page, its Japanese IME guide on Microsoft Learn and language and keyboard settings help for every key and setting.
Related: how to change the system locale in Windows 11.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.