How to Type Japanese Letters on English Keyboard (MS Word)

Typing letters or characters in other languages, such as Japanese, is now a breeze thanks to technological advances in keyboard controls.

There are a few clean tips and tricks in this article that will help you type Japanese letters quickly and efficiently on any computer platform, including desktops, laptops, and even mobile devices.

Some keyboards are made in Japanese and allow you to type these Japanese characters more quickly and comfortably.

However, if you don’t have access to such special Japanese keyboard, the techniques in this article can be very helpful.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Type or Insert Japanese Letters

There are several methods for typing or inserting Japanese characters into Microsoft Word.

Because these characters are not readily available on the keyboard, the simplest way to type them on Word is to use their alt codes.

In this section, I’ll show you how to use alt codes to type Japanese letters on an English keyboard.

Using the Japanese Letters Alt Code

Each Japanese character has an alt code that you can use to type it in Microsoft Word.

You’ll quickly learn the alt code for all the Japanese characters. For the time being, let’s focus on the steps.

To type Japanese letters in MS Word, follow these steps:

• First and foremost, get the alt code for the Japanese letters you intend to type. These alt codes are listed just below these instructions.
• Open your Microsoft Word document and move the insertion pointer to the location where you want to type the Japanese characters.
• Turn on your Num Lock. Press Fn+NmLk to turn on Num Lock on laptops without the numeric keypad.
• Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard.
• Whilst still holding on to the Alt key, press the Japanese alt code.
• For example, to type ア, press and hold the Alt key, then type the alt code 12450 on the numeric keypad.
• Now release the Alt key.

You should see the Japanese letter inserted as soon as you release the Alt key.

Related: How to type Arabic Characters

Below are the alt codes for the various Japanese Characters.

Character Name	Character	Alt Code
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL A	ァ	Alt + 12449
KATAKANA LETTER A	ア	Alt + 12450
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL I	ィ	Alt + 12451
KATAKANA LETTER I	イ	Alt + 12452
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL U	ゥ	Alt + 12453
KATAKANA LETTER U	ウ	Alt + 12454
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL E	ェ	Alt + 12455
KATAKANA LETTER E	エ	Alt + 12456
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL O	ォ	Alt + 12457
KATAKANA LETTER O	オ	Alt + 12458
KATAKANA LETTER KA	カ	Alt + 12459
KATAKANA LETTER GA	ガ	Alt + 12460
KATAKANA LETTER KI	キ	Alt + 12461
KATAKANA LETTER GI	ギ	Alt + 12462
KATAKANA LETTER KU	ク	Alt + 12463
KATAKANA LETTER GU	グ	Alt + 12464
KATAKANA LETTER KE	ケ	Alt + 12465
KATAKANA LETTER GE	ゲ	Alt + 12466
KATAKANA LETTER KO	コ	Alt + 12467
KATAKANA LETTER GO	ゴ	Alt + 12468
KATAKANA LETTER SA	サ	Alt + 12469
KATAKANA LETTER ZA	ザ	Alt + 12470
KATAKANA LETTER SI	シ	Alt + 12471
KATAKANA LETTER ZI	ジ	Alt + 12472
KATAKANA LETTER SU	ス	Alt + 12473
KATAKANA LETTER ZU	ズ	Alt + 12474
KATAKANA LETTER SE	セ	Alt + 12475
KATAKANA LETTER ZE	ゼ	Alt + 12476
KATAKANA LETTER SO	ソ	Alt + 12477
KATAKANA LETTER ZO	ゾ	Alt + 12478
KATAKANA LETTER TA	タ	Alt + 12479
KATAKANA LETTER DA	ダ	Alt + 12480
KATAKANA LETTER TI	チ	Alt + 12481
KATAKANA LETTER DI	ヂ	Alt + 12482
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL TU	ッ	Alt + 12483
KATAKANA LETTER TU	ツ	Alt + 12484
KATAKANA LETTER DU	ヅ	Alt + 12485
KATAKANA LETTER TE	テ	Alt + 12486
KATAKANA LETTER DE	デ	Alt + 12487
KATAKANA LETTER TO	ト	Alt + 12488
KATAKANA LETTER DO	ド	Alt + 12489
KATAKANA LETTER NA	ナ	Alt + 12490
KATAKANA LETTER NI	ニ	Alt + 12491
KATAKANA LETTER NU	ヌ	Alt + 12492
KATAKANA LETTER NE	ネ	Alt + 12493
KATAKANA LETTER NO	ノ	Alt + 12494
KATAKANA LETTER HA	ハ	Alt + 12495
KATAKANA LETTER BA	バ	Alt + 12496
KATAKANA LETTER PA	パ	Alt + 12497
KATAKANA LETTER HI	ヒ	Alt + 12498
KATAKANA LETTER BI	ビ	Alt + 12499
KATAKANA LETTER PI	ピ	Alt + 12500
KATAKANA LETTER HU	フ	Alt + 12501
KATAKANA LETTER BU	ブ	Alt + 12502
KATAKANA LETTER PU	プ	Alt + 12503
KATAKANA LETTER HE	ヘ	Alt + 12504
KATAKANA LETTER BE	ベ	Alt + 12505
KATAKANA LETTER PE	ペ	Alt + 12506
KATAKANA LETTER HO	ホ	Alt + 12507
KATAKANA LETTER BO	ボ	Alt + 12508
KATAKANA LETTER PO	ポ	Alt + 12509
KATAKANA LETTER MA	マ	Alt + 12510
KATAKANA LETTER MI	ミ	Alt + 12511
KATAKANA LETTER MU	ム	Alt + 12512
KATAKANA LETTER ME	メ	Alt + 12513
KATAKANA LETTER MO	モ	Alt + 12514
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL YA	ャ	Alt + 12515
KATAKANA LETTER YA	ヤ	Alt + 12516
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL YU	ュ	Alt + 12517
KATAKANA LETTER YU	ユ	Alt + 12518
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL YO	ョ	Alt + 12519
KATAKANA LETTER YO	ヨ	Alt + 12520
KATAKANA LETTER RA	ラ	Alt + 12521
KATAKANA LETTER RI	リ	Alt + 12522
KATAKANA LETTER RU	ル	Alt + 12523
KATAKANA LETTER RE	レ	Alt + 12524
KATAKANA LETTER RO	ロ	Alt + 12525
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL WA	ヮ	Alt + 12526
KATAKANA LETTER WA	ワ	Alt + 12527
KATAKANA LETTER WI	ヰ	Alt + 12528
KATAKANA LETTER WE	ヱ	Alt + 12529
KATAKANA LETTER WO	ヲ	Alt + 12530
KATAKANA LETTER N	ン	Alt + 12531
KATAKANA LETTER VU	ヴ	Alt + 12532
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL KA	ヵ	Alt + 12533
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL KE	ヶ	Alt + 12534
KATAKANA LETTER VA	ヷ	Alt + 12535
KATAKANA LETTER VI	ヸ	Alt + 12536
KATAKANA LETTER VE	ヹ	Alt + 12537
KATAKANA LETTER VO	ヺ	Alt + 12538
KATAKANA MIDDLE DOT	・	Alt + 12539
KATAKANA-HIRAGANA VOICED SOUND MARK	゛	Alt + 12443
KATAKANA-HIRAGANA SEMI-VOICED SOUND MARK	゜	Alt + 12444
KATAKANA-HIRAGANA PROLONGED SOUND MARK	ー	Alt + 12540
KATAKANA ITERATION MARK	ヽ	Alt + 12541
KATAKANA VOICED ITERATION MARK	ヾ	Alt + 12542
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL KU	ㇰ	Alt + 12784
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL SI	ㇱ	Alt + 12785
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL SU	ㇲ	Alt + 12786
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL TO	ㇳ	Alt + 12787
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL NU	ㇴ	Alt + 12788
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL HA	ㇵ	Alt + 12789
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL HI	ㇶ	Alt + 12790
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL HU	ㇷ	Alt + 12791
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL HE	ㇸ	Alt + 12792
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL HO	ㇹ	Alt + 12793
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL MU	ㇺ	Alt + 12794
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL RA	ㇻ	Alt + 12795
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL RI	ㇼ	Alt + 12796
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL RU	ㇽ	Alt + 12797
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL RE	ㇾ	Alt + 12798
KATAKANA LETTER SMALL RO	ㇿ	Alt + 12799
CIRCLED KATAKANA A	㋐	Alt + 13008
CIRCLED KATAKANA I	㋑	Alt + 13009
CIRCLED KATAKANA U	㋒	Alt + 13010
CIRCLED KATAKANA E	㋓	Alt + 13011
CIRCLED KATAKANA O	㋔	Alt + 13012
CIRCLED KATAKANA KA	㋕	Alt + 13013
CIRCLED KATAKANA KI	㋖	Alt + 13014
CIRCLED KATAKANA KU	㋗	Alt + 13015
CIRCLED KATAKANA KE	㋘	Alt + 13016
CIRCLED KATAKANA KO	㋙	Alt + 13017
CIRCLED KATAKANA SA	㋚	Alt + 13018
CIRCLED KATAKANA SI	㋛	Alt + 13019
CIRCLED KATAKANA SU	㋜	Alt + 13020
CIRCLED KATAKANA SE	㋝	Alt + 13021
CIRCLED KATAKANA SO	㋞	Alt + 13022
CIRCLED KATAKANA TA	㋟	Alt + 13023
CIRCLED KATAKANA TI	㋠	Alt + 13024
CIRCLED KATAKANA TU	㋡	Alt + 13025
CIRCLED KATAKANA TE	㋢	Alt + 13026
CIRCLED KATAKANA TO	㋣	Alt + 13027
CIRCLED KATAKANA NA	㋤	Alt + 13028
CIRCLED KATAKANA NI	㋥	Alt + 13029
CIRCLED KATAKANA NU	㋦	Alt + 13030
CIRCLED KATAKANA NE	㋧	Alt + 13031
CIRCLED KATAKANA NO	㋨	Alt + 13032
CIRCLED KATAKANA HA	㋩	Alt + 13033
CIRCLED KATAKANA HI	㋪	Alt + 13034
CIRCLED KATAKANA HU	㋫	Alt + 13035
CIRCLED KATAKANA HE	㋬	Alt + 13036
CIRCLED KATAKANA HO	㋭	Alt + 13037
CIRCLED KATAKANA MA	㋮	Alt + 13038
CIRCLED KATAKANA MI	㋯	Alt + 13039
CIRCLED KATAKANA MU	㋰	Alt + 13040
CIRCLED KATAKANA ME	㋱	Alt + 13041
CIRCLED KATAKANA MO	㋲	Alt + 13042
CIRCLED KATAKANA YA	㋳	Alt + 13043
CIRCLED KATAKANA YU	㋴	Alt + 13044
CIRCLED KATAKANA YO	㋵	Alt + 13045
CIRCLED KATAKANA RA	㋶	Alt + 13046
CIRCLED KATAKANA RI	㋷	Alt + 13047
CIRCLED KATAKANA RU	㋸	Alt + 13048
CIRCLED KATAKANA RE	㋹	Alt + 13049
CIRCLED KATAKANA RO	㋺	Alt + 13050
CIRCLED KATAKANA WA	㋻	Alt + 13051
CIRCLED KATAKANA WI	㋼	Alt + 13052
CIRCLED KATAKANA WE	㋽	Alt + 13053
CIRCLED KATAKANA WO	㋾	Alt + 13054

Note: Using the alt code approach means that you have a lot to learn. And as we all know, learning these alt codes will take a lot of practice as there are many alt codes to remember. However, you can create a cheat sheet for quick reference if you happen to type Japanese letters frequently.

Using Online Japanese Keyboard

There are numerous free online Japanese keyboards available that allow anyone to type Japanese characters by simply clicking on them.

Instead of trying to type these characters with your own keyboard, you are presented with a virtual Japanese keyboard that includes all of the language’s characters.

You will also be given a simple text editor in which to type the characters. After that, you can copy and paste the typed characters into Microsoft Word or wherever you want.

Listed below are some of the best free virtual Japanese keyboards.

• Clavier-Arabe.co
• VKboard.com  
• Branah.com

This is another online tool that gives you a very simple and beautiful virtual keyboard with which you can type in Japanese by clicking on the virtual keyboard.

These are some of the amazing tools you can use to type in Japanese.

Conclusion

These are the easiest ways you can use to type Japanese letters in Microsoft Word.

If you often need to type a particular Japanese letter or character in Word, using the Alt code method will be a good idea.

However, if you want to type a lot of characters, then using one of the virtual keyboards will save you lots of time.

Thank you so much for reading this blog.