How to Type Japanese - Installing IME

Installing IME and Typing Japanese on Windows

You need to install MS-IME to input Japanese characters on Windows.

MS-IME is a typing Japanese software provided by Microsoft.
It is already on your system as a standard accessory.

Japanese keyboard is NOT necessary.

You can type Japanese words in Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji using a keyboard of English or other languages.

If your keyboard has the English alphabet letters on the key top, you can type like Japanese people do.

Installing and Setting

First, please check if the IME is already installed on your Windows.

If you see "EN" (in case of Windows English version) on the taskbar
like on the right, It is the Language Bar. MS-IME is already installed.
You do not need to go through Step 1.

Step 1 - Installing MS-IME

Step 2 - How to Start Typing Japanese Mode

How do Japanese people type Japanese?
What is IME?, What does IME do?

(Japanese keyboard is not necessary)

There are two typing methods, Romaji typing and Kana typing.
Currently, Romaji typing is more common than Kana typing among Japanese people.
Because ...