How to Type Japanese Without a Japanese Keyboard
Most people trying to write Japanese for the first time assume they need to install an input method editor (IME) or switch their whole keyboard layout. You don't - the standard way Japanese speakers themselves type kana on a regular QWERTY keyboard is romaji input, and it works the same way here.
How romaji input works
Romaji input converts the Latin letters you type into the kana that sound the same. Type "ka" and you get か; type "kya" and you get . There's no need to memorize where each kana lives on some special layout - you're just spelling out the sound.
- Single vowels: a, i, u, e, o → あ, い, う, え, お
- Consonant + vowel: ka, shi, tsu, etc. → か, し, つ
- Combination sounds: kya, sho, ryu, etc. → , ,
- Doubled consonants: type the consonant twice, e.g. "kitte" → (the small っ)
- The nasal ん: type "n" (or "nn" before a vowel, to avoid it merging into na/ni/nu/ne/no)
Try it directly in the browser
The on-screen keyboard on this site supports exactly this: type romaji into the input field and watch it convert to hiragana or katakana in real time, or click characters directly if you'd rather not type romaji at all. There's nothing to install, and nothing to configure.
Already have hiragana and want the kanji it's usually written with? The hiragana-to-kanji converter suggests common kanji for beginner vocabulary as you type.