Learn Japanese

Japanese Font

For Windows XP

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Install Japanese font - Viewing Japanese characters properly
You need Japanese fonts in your system in order to view Japanese characters (Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji) properly.
When you access the Japanese page and you see like "2. Not Proper" on the table right, it means the Japanese fonts are not installed in your system. You need to install Japanese fonts.
Here will explain how to install Japanese fonts in Windows XP English version, the same method is applicable to enable Japanese in Windows XP of other languages.
1. Proper 2. Not proper
Installing Japanese Fonts
Usually Japanese fonts are already included as East Asian Languages Pack in computers.
If you only want to view Japanese websites on Web browsers such as Internet Explorer (IE) or Firefox, you will need this step only. Other steps are not necessary.
Windows Vista & Windows 7
Japanese Fonts are pre-installed in Windows Vista and Windows 7

Option : Setting "non-Unicode Programs"
After installing Japanese fonts you can view Japanese websites, as well as type and view Japanese with word processing software or email software.
If Japanese does not appear properly with word processing software or email software even after installing Japanese fonts, then the software does not support Unicode (Multilingual character code).
However even in such case, most non-Japanese software enables type and view in Japanese by setting "non-Unicode Programs".
If you have some troubles to view Japanese characters, please try this optipn.
In other case, you do not have to take this option.
If you manually install Japanese fonts and complete this setting "non-Unicode Programs",
MS-IME (Japanese input software) will also be automatically installed.
Windows XP
Windows VISTA
Windows 7

How to type in Japanese
You can type in Japanese with non-Japanese software such as English word processing software or English email software.
Japanese keyboard is NOT necessary.
You can input Japanese (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji) using a keyboard of English or other languages.
You need MS-IME to type in Japanese. MS-IME is Japanese input software and it is standard accessory for Windows XP and Windows VISTA.
Japanese people, too, use this software to type in Japanese on Windows.
MS-IME is ready on the hard disk or on the System disk on non-Japanese Windows such as Windows XP or Windows VISTA English version.
Installing MS-IME
How to install Japanese typing software - MS-IME
How to type Japanese in Hiragana
How to type Japanese in Katakana
How to type Japanese in Kanji