Japanese computers.

Yeah, erm, everyone I know types Japanese using Romaji input. It's very simple. Very few Japanese computer users bother with the kana keyboard.
There's absolutely no reason for you bother with a Japanese-language computer unless you'll be working in an office using Japanese software on Japanese-only PCs.
It's a piece of cake to take any Japanese computer, install English Windows XP, use the existing Japanese Windows drivers to correctly configure the machine, strip the Japanese installation (in fact save it to DVD for potential future re-installation). I've been doing this for years.
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Actually I was kind of wondering that myself with my current lap top...I'd like to be able to type in Japanese a little more easily on my lap top from home so that I can answer emails from friends, and post in online Japanese communities such as mixi. But I'm not sure just what all I would need to do to be able to do that. So if you guys could help me out with some advice that would be great!
my current lap top is a Toshiba Satellite and its running on Windows Vista Home Basic.
 
Actually I was kind of wondering that myself with my current lap top...I'd like to be able to type in Japanese a little more easily on my lap top from home so that I can answer emails from friends, and post in online Japanese communities such as mixi. But I'm not sure just what all I would need to do to be able to do that. So if you guys could help me out with some advice that would be great!
my current lap top is a Toshiba Satellite and its running on Windows Vista Home Basic.
Adding Japanese language input to your Windows Vista Home is roughly the same as for the English version of Windows XP.
The following is a guide for adding Japanese language input to Vista. Although it's in Japanese, I think you'll be able to figure it out from the screens and English words in the explanation:
Nihongo PC

There should be no problem in what you want to do. I'm Japanese using English version of Windows XP and never had any problem writing and posting in Japanese. 👍
 
Note: Drivers are not language specific, BUT, any software that is included may be picky.
 
japanese keyboard with win xp prof

Hi there,

I wanna ask you for a suggestion about my keyboard problem.

I installed a english win xp prof version and I use a japanese keyboard.
Somehow I can not use the keyboard in right way. The key settings are not set properly.

I chekced several informations in the internet and tried but I am not successfull at all.

Even if I delete any language setting for input device and just use japanese I can not succeed.

It would be great if someone here could give me some advice.

Thanks a lot
Martin
 
You can either set your keyboard to whatever Japanese is (105?) when you install windows, or change it in the control panel. W/ old versions, it was in the keyboard applet. With XP, it looks like you have to change it in the Regional Settings. Languages->Details Set the language to English, but keyboard to Japanese. That's just a guess... I touch type w/ English 101 keyboard so have enver tried.
 
I wanna ask you for a suggestion about my keyboard problem.
I installed a english win xp prof version and I use a japanese keyboard.
Somehow I can not use the keyboard in right way. The key settings are not set properly.

Its because your Windows doesn't know that the keyboard is Japanese ;)

This is simple to fix with two solutions:

One is to open the Control Panel, then Regional and language options. Click Languages then Details. Where it says "Keyboard" underneath it should say "Japanese" since you have a Japanese keyboard. If it still says "US", then click Add and select Input Language of English (Whatever) and Keyboard Layout/IME of Japanese. Click OK and then click on the old "US" and Remove it. Reboot and check for me :)

If that fails then we can change the actual hardware driver, which is easier than I made it sound.

First go to the Control Panel. Then open up System, and select Hardware, then Device Manager.

Under "Keyboards" it should have just one thing listed (usually something like 'HID Keyboard Device' or 'Standard 101-key PS/2 Keyboard'). We want to change this, so right click and select Update Driver. If it asks to connect to Windows Update, select No and click next.

The options from here are:
Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)
Don't search, I will choose the driver to install.

Untick Show compatible hardware
Find Mitsumi from the list, then select the Mitsumi Japanese USB Keyboard if it isn't already selected, and go Next
If it gives you any warnings just click Yes or Continue and reboot when told to reboot :)

That should force the mapping to Japanese, failing that theres one other setting you can check, but this is the better start point.
 
Last edited:
Hi there,
thanks for welcome me here in the forum.
(today I also will have my welcome party here in the new company in Tokyo :-) ).

Well I was surprised how "complicated" it is but if you know how its easy .. hehe .. :

First go to the Control Panel. Then open up System, and select Hardware, then Device Manager.
Under "Keyboards" it should have just one thing listed (usually something like 'HID Keyboard Device' or 'Standard 101-key PS/2 Keyboard'). We want to change this, so right click and select Update Driver. If it asks to connect to Windows Update, select No and click next.
The options from here are:
Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)
Don't search, I will choose the driver to install.
Untick Show compatible hardware
Find Mitsumi from the list, then select the Mitsumi Japanese USB Keyboard if it isn't already selected, and go Next
If it gives you any warnings just click Yes or Continue and reboot when told to reboot


I did it like this and Its working well now so I can start into a relaxing weekend ...

Thanks and enjoy weekend too
Martin

PS: its really a great forum
 
Dos V shops also usually carry English Keybords if you just cant deal with the little space bar and other things like that. Or just order a USB one.
 
Vista is rediculous. Period. It has no backwards compatibility with XP when it comes to drivers and software companies are having to remake EVERYTHING.

XP did not have problems like vista. Trust me. I beta tested XP and bought home edition. I could use 2000 drivers if i couldn't find XP drivers.

But, with vista........... nope. Your screwed. You gotta wait... :eek:
 
So, here I am. No problem. It is the same exact thing, just with more functions than my old computer. Here I can type hiragana, kanji and katakana with no problem and the system is exactly the same, just written in katakana, which I can now read easily.

I thought of bringing my own keyboard with me... phf, pathetic...

Mauricio
 
Vista is rediculous. Period. It has no backwards compatibility with XP when it comes to drivers and software companies are having to remake EVERYTHING.
XP did not have problems like vista. Trust me. I beta tested XP and bought home edition. I could use 2000 drivers if i couldn't find XP drivers.
But, with vista........... nope. Your screwed. You gotta wait... :eek:

The state of Vista is no different to XP - at the time I was working in a computer store and XP had no support for the printers, scanners and digital cameras of the time, and it took until SP1 until I was confident enough to use it full time - around about a year, which is the exact same as we are seeing for Vista.

Same with Vista - we are starting to see hardware manufacturors makes drivers that are working just as well as XP, many of the OS bugs have been rolled out, and I would say by January it would be a good time to upgrade to Vista.

Meanwhile my company has many in-house applications which we have been testing on Vista, and we haven't had any issues at all. At the current rate we should start rolling over first quarter next year, and be done in around 12months. Its inevitable - Vista has better long term support, better support for new technology, better use of increasing hardware (multithreading, large amounts of memory etc) and some of our top end bankers are practically screaming for us to get it to them ASAP so that they can start reaping the benefits - you might not see the difference as a home user, but from my perspective where I have people doing a wide range of tasks on a wide range of PC's, things look much more different.

(And I think people will appreciate the new look - its kinda pretty :) )
 
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