Spec me a Japanese keyboard please!

[Sumanji]

Hey,

I started learning Japanese recently and would love to write messages and emails to my Japanese classmates.

I have a relatively new mechanical keyboard (CM QF TK), and though about getting dual-language keycaps, but don't want the hassle of having to switch keyboard layouts in Windows all the time (unless you can persuade me otherwise!).

Could you guys spec me a compact, wireless Japanese keyboard please? Perhaps something like this... but not Apple

Cheers,

Su

 

[Khazzer]

There are a number of online Japanese keyboards.

 

[Varsh]

I purchased a keyboard a long time ago when wanting to type in Japanese but found it a little confusing so in the end I just stuck with using Google's Japanese Input. Unlike Microsoft's language switcher this one actually works properly and has some really nice features including auto complete and more.

 

[Sumanji]

Google's Japanese Input.

Absolute game changer!

Thanks man

 

[Varsh]

No problem.

I thought it a bit strange with needing a Japanese keyboard just to type in Japanese.

 

[Sumanji]

So I've been playing with the Google thing... and sometimes it works great... most of the times it doesn't.

Perhaps there is some PEBKAC going on here (pun intended), but it just doesn't seem very reliable

 

[Varsh]

What're you trying to do exactly? Whenever I use it it seems fine. I can freely switch between romaji, half-width katakana, and hiragana without a hitch. かんたんに一つ、二つ、三つとして (as easy as one, two, three).

 

[Sumanji]

So I'll switch to Hiragana (using the icon on the taskbar), and will start typing... sometimes it will just keep showing romaji. Sometimes the icon will randomly switch back to EN. Occasionally Hiragana will work.

I wonder if some other program I have is interfering?

 

[Varsh]

I think I know what it is, go to Control Panel -> Region and Language -> Keyboards and Languages tab -> Change Keyboards. Here you should only see:

English (United States (UK for me))
- Keyboard
- - United States (UK for me)
Japanese (Japan)
- Keyboard
- - Google Japanese Input

If you see anything else then what it is is Microsoft's IME getting in the way. I had problems all the time where I used to type something, switch windows, got back to the other one and then it would only start typing in Romaji without any way of getting back to Hiragana.

Just make sure that Japanese -> Japanese/Microsoft IME is not enabled.

 

[Sumanji]

Yeah this is all I see:

 

[Varsh]

Just trying to understand what might be happening then. Are you wanting it so that no matter what window is active then hiragana will always be selected? If so then that's the problem because all language options only works on a window to window basis. Now for instance I have it set to Direct Input but when I click on Notepad it sets it to Hiragana, clicking back to the browser puts in straight back into Direct Input mode.

Also if you use SHIFT at any point during typing then it will automatically set it as Direct Input for the following characters until you press ENTER.

 

[Sumanji]

Basically I am setting it to Hiragana in this window, and it is just typing in Romaji (but with word suggestions...?!).

I am starting to get rage

 

[just Scott]

The Microsoft IME only works on a per-program basis. If I want to type here in Japanese, I need to shift-alt to switch to IME. Then put it into hiragana mode (instead of the A), because the setting to default to hiragana doesn't work.

It will then remember your settings specifically for here. You should be able to just click in this box and use shift-enter to switch instantly between English and Hiragana. If you click to somewhere you haven't set to IME, it will default back to your regular English keyboard. It's annoying but I haven't found a work around. I thought at one point I did: alt-` (key to the left of 1) worked to switch between the A and hiragana while using the IME. So I was planning on just leaving it on the IME, alt-` to switch between English and hiragana whenever I needed it. No need to change keyboard all together. Unfortunately, alt-` just stopped doing anything a few tries later and hasn't worked since. It's rubbish.

btw, こんにちは!

 

[Varsh]

Unfortunately, alt-` just stopped doing anything a few tries later and hasn't worked since. It's rubbish.

btw, こんにちは!

Change to Google Japanese Input, it solves that issue.

And hello too.

 

[just Scott]

Change to Google Japanese Input, it solves that issue.

And hello too.

Awesome, thanks. Is there any way to make it UK layout?

 

[Varsh]

I don't think there is a Japanese Input for a UK layout unfortunately as it's all based off the US layout.

 

[Sumanji]

This is basically what's happening. It's not transcribing into Hiragana

 

[Varsh]

Don't use SHIFT. I know it's a pain because in English we capitalise the first letter of a sentence, but because Japanese uses symbols instead there is no capitalisation anywhere so you must refrain from using that. So basically like this:

endo hitomi-san
遠藤ひとみさん

 

[Sumanji]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, now I get it sorry, you did say that earlier but it didn't register in my brain

ありがとうございます！

ガンダムさん

 

[Sumanji]

So, another question - do you just have Google Japanese as your default input method all the time, then toggle between direct input, Hiragana, Katakana etc? If so is there a hot key for toggling the input between these modes (rather than having to use the mouse).

Cheers,

Su