How to enable kana input on Windows and macOS

Direct kana input (かな入力) works on any physical keyboard — you don't need Japanese hardware, because the layout is defined by key positions, not keycap printing. Here's how to switch your IME from romaji to kana on both major systems. (New to the layout itself? Start with what is JIS kana input?)

Windows (Microsoft IME)

  1. Install Japanese: Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region → Add a language → 日本語.
  2. Switch to the Japanese IME with Win+Space (the taskbar shows A or あ).
  3. Right-click that A/あ indicator in the taskbar and open Settings → General.
  4. Under input settings, change Input style / Kana input from Romaji to Kana (かな入力).
  5. On real JIS hardware you can also toggle it with Alt+ひらがな/カタカナ.

Microsoft moves these menus around between versions — if you can't find the toggle, search the IME settings for "kana".

macOS

  1. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Edit → +.
  2. Add Japanese. In the input source's options, set the input mode / Romaji-Kana preference to Kana (some versions list "Japanese – Kana" as its own input source — add that one).
  3. Switch input sources with Ctrl+Space (or the input menu in the menu bar).

Linux

With Fcitx5 or IBus + Mozc: open the Mozc configuration and change Input mode → Kana. The positional layout is identical.

Learn the layout before you switch

The switch is the easy part — knowing where the kana live is the real work. Rather than hunting keys in a live chat window, drill the positions with guided hints, real JLPT vocabulary, and spaced repetition, free in your browser:

Practice the kana layout →

Related guides

What is JIS kana input? · Kana vs romaji input: which is faster?