How to Add a Japanese Keyboard on Windows 11

To add Japanese typing in Windows 11, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, choose Add a language, search for Japanese, and install it. Windows adds Microsoft Japanese IME, which can accept Romaji and convert it into Kana and Kanji candidates.

Add Japanese in Windows Settings

1. Open Start, then Settings.
2. Select Time & language.
3. Open Language & region.
4. Next to Preferred languages, select Add a language.
5. Search for Japanese, select it, and choose Next.
6. Review the optional language features and select Install.

You do not need to change the Windows display language merely to type Japanese. The input method can be installed while menus remain in English.

Switch from English to Japanese input

Use Windows key + Space to cycle through installed input languages. You can also select the language indicator in the taskbar. Choose Japanese / Microsoft IME.

Switching to Japanese does not always mean Kana entry is active. Microsoft IME can remain in alphanumeric mode, usually indicated by an A. Select the indicator and choose Hiragana, usually shown by あ, when you want Romaji sequences to become Japanese.

Type your first word

Open Notepad or another ordinary text field. With the IME in Hiragana mode, type nihongo. You should see a Hiragana reading such as にほんご. Press Space to view conversion candidates, choose 日本語 when appropriate, and press Enter to confirm.

The candidate step matters. A reading can correspond to multiple Kanji words, so examine the characters and meaning before confirmation.

Useful Windows 11 controls

IME shortcuts and behavior can be customized. Treat this table as a starting point and check the current Microsoft IME settings if your key behavior differs.

If typing still produces Latin letters

First confirm that Japanese, not English, is selected in the language indicator. Then look at the IME mode. An A indicates direct alphanumeric input; あ indicates Hiragana. Switch to Hiragana and try again.

If Japanese is missing from the language switcher, return to Language & region and verify that the language finished installing. Open the language options and confirm Microsoft IME is listed under Keyboards.

If the wrong characters appear

Romaji conversion follows Japanese input patterns, not English spelling. Use shi for し, tsu for つ, and a doubled consonant in a word such as kitte → きって. For ん before a vowel, an apostrophe can separate it from the next syllable.

Also confirm that the IME is using Romaji input rather than direct Kana input. Kana input maps physical keys to the Japanese legends found on JIS keyboards and feels unpredictable on a standard English keyboard.

Practice before writing a long document

Test the main patterns in the Romaji keyboard and learn how a reading should look before selecting Kanji. When the Kana is accurate, move to Windows applications and practice the conversion and candidate controls.

Microsoft updates Windows and its IME, so menu labels can shift. The authoritative Microsoft pages linked below are the best reference if a future Windows version changes the path.