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Japanese Kana Keyboard Layout - Where is the key?

O

Ochire

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 13, 2008
80
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I've been using the direct kana Japanese input and I can't find the ろ key. Does anyone know which key is used to input ろ?

I have a unibody 13" mbp

Thanks

---

edit: PMB helped me out.. it's shift + '
 
I'm not sure where the keys are located but you can probably access the keyboard layout under the "international" pane in system preferences.

May I ask why you don't use romaji input method instead?
 
I've looked at the virtual keyboard and the ろ key isn't on it. This is incredible.. the § and ` keys aren't even being used.

Do you think it'd be possible to remap one of those keys?
 
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Ochire said:
Because I never learnt romaji and I don't plan to.

I've looked at the virtual keyboard and the ろ key isn't on it. This is incredible.. the § and ` keys aren't even being used.

Do you think it'd be possible to remap one of those keys?
Click to expand...


Yeah you can remap your keyboard.

I know you said you don't wish to learn romaji, but seeing as you are an english speaker it would take you no time at all. I am not sure how familiar you are to Japanese computer input, but using romaji is the standard even in Japan.


Anyway search help for how to remap your keyboard...if its not there check apple support website
 
highscheme said:
I am not sure how familiar you are to Japanese computer input, but using romaji is the standard even in Japan.
Click to expand...

Indeed, romaji input is the standard here...nobody, and I mean nobody uses the kana keys.

The only thing you really change by going to a Japanese keyboard is just a different punctuation layout that takes getting used to and a small space bar. Seems a bit silly to try and undo X years of typing just to use the kana keys when you could just use your natural typing under romaji input and type nearly as fast as you would in English. If you know the sounds, you know the romaji.

EDIT: I can't answer your question as I refuse to buy a laptop with a Japanese keyboard for the above reason, but just type "ro"
 
puma1552 said:
Indeed, romaji input is the standard here...nobody, and I mean nobody uses the kana keys.

The only thing you really change by going to a Japanese keyboard is just a different punctuation layout that takes getting used to and a small space bar.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And seeing as how you have to memorize a kana keyboard layout you might as well just memorize romaji.

Romaji is important to learn in and of itself anyway.
 
I know, my Japanese friends use the romaji method. I don't understand why.
 
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Ochire said:
I know, my Japanese friends use the romaji method. I don't understand it.

However, speaking for myself, I am familiar with the kana layout, and whilst I know the latin alphabet I learnt japanese in a direct method (i.e. how you learnt your first language) and I don't want to start mixing that familiarity with anything else. Of course I can make sense of romaji if I have to, but I try to go near it as little as possible. I certainly don't want to have to start using it to type now.

It's a shame, as I just got this mac and I really don't understand how they could have omitted a key. Unreal.
Click to expand...

I definitely understand where you're coming from trying not to use romaji as a crutch just like Japanese kids shouldn't rely on katakana English (oh god shoot me), but, when in Rome...

If you limit romaji use to just typing you'll be better off in the long run and likely more productive than messing with the useless kana keyboard. The apparent omission of such a key hiragana is likely part of the reason nobody uses the kana keyboard.

Go with the flow bro :)
 
I have a british keyboard and I know where the kana keys are. However, I cannot find the ろ key. It's really as simple as that.

If someone could advise how to get ろ out there using kana, or how to remap one of the spare keys, that would be really helpful.
 
There is no such key on the keyboard. Just hit the "かな" button on the right of the space key. Then, type ro
 
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if I'm understanding correctly, you're using a UK keyboard for direct Japanese input, right?

check out the two images:

Japanese
kybard.jpg


UK
keyboard.jpg


it looks like the Japanese keyboard has an additional key for ろ near the right shift button... you might be stuck with romaji as the only option for that, on a non-Japanese mac keyboard.
 
hajime said:
There is no such key on the keyboard. Just hit the "かな" button on the right of the space key. Then, type ro
Click to expand...

I apologize for my incorrect information. iketeru is right. Now, I see the ろ
key next to the shift key located on the right. I have never used this key though.
 
Thanks guys. As I expected, the key is literally missing from my keyboard and Apple haven't bothered to remap it.

Does anyone know any way of mapping ろ to, for instance, the ` key next to shift on the left hand-side?
 
I think its kinda sad that you refuse to learn romanji...

I study Japanese and find the romanji very easy. So if you say ろ then it is 'RO', all you have to do is type RO... it isn't really that difficult :rolleyes:

so if you were to type the word for funny: 面白い (おもしろい), you will type omoshiroi
 
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I think it's kinda sad how people here are trying to convince the OP to learn romaji. Yes it's not that hard but ultimately, that's the OP's decision and you guys need to learn to respect that. The OP has stated his reasons for preferring to use Kana rather than romaji already and that issue should've been left with that. The OP wasn't asking for a opinion about whether to type in romaji or Kana. :/
 
Sulwyn said:
I think it's kinda sad how people here are trying to convince the OP to learn romaji. Yes it's not that hard but ultimately, that's the OP's decision and you guys need to learn to respect that. The OP has stated his reasons for preferring to use Kana rather than romaji already and that issue should've been left with that. The OP wasn't asking for a opinion about whether to type in romaji or Kana. :/
Click to expand...

agreed. it would be cool to learn how to touch type on a Japanese keyboard if I had one, but for now I'm stuck with romaji. maybe if I ever buy a パソコン in Japan :p

we should start a Japanese-speaking :apple:-users' club, haha. it's nice to see you guys coming out of the woodwork!
 
Thanks for understanding you two.

Also, at no point did I claim that the latin alphabet is my first alphabet

Anyway, I just need to map ろ to a spare key and then i'll be on my way.

Any advice? I'm hoping I can just edit the Japanese keyboard layout.. I mean, it should be simple but I just can't figure it out.
 
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What I can say is that Romaji should be learned if you want to learn Japanese thoroughly. Romaji is not just for inputting japanese on keyboard. It is a way of expressing Japanese characters, not necessarily correct pronunciation, using alphabets. That's the way it is in Japan so learn Romaji without hesitation. When in Rome do as Romans do.

Actually, speed of typing is the same for kana-input and romaji-input as one study showed a decade ago. So there is no obligation to input by romaji.
 
PacMookBro said:
What I can say is that Romaji should be learned if you want to learn Japanese thoroughly. Romaji is not just for inputting japanese on keyboard. It is a way of expressing Japanese characters, not necessarily correct pronunciation, using alphabets. That's the way it is in Japan so learn Romaji without hesitation. When in Rome do as Romans do.
Click to expand...

That's funny. When I want to express something in Japanese, I do so in Japanese.
 
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Ochire said:
Any advice? I'm hoping I can just edit the Japanese keyboard layout.. I mean, it should be simple but I just can't figure it out.
Click to expand...

Honestly, the only keyboard mapping program I know of for OS X is DoubleCommand, and it really only allows for some relatively limited mapping of command keys. I don't think it would let you do this.

I might have missed it earlier, but did you actually try pulling up the keyboard viewer (you can get to it from the IME menulet -- the place where you go on the menubar to change the keyboard language)? Pull that up and take a look at the keyboard, perhaps also trying the keyboard with the option / shift keys, and make sure it's not on there. (I'm not in front of a Mac, and you still haven't said, as far as I can see, what keyboard you have, so it's probably easiest for you to test it yourself).
 
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