Japanese Keyboard Tester
Press any key to check that it works on your Japanese keyboard. Test the special characters Japanese typing needs, free and right in your browser.
- Free
- No download
- Windows and Mac
- Private
Meet your keyboard.
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- Location
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- keyCode
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- Held
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0 of 104 keys tested
Keys you press turn red, and stay tinted once they've been tested. A few keys, such as Fn and some media keys, are handled by the keyboard or your operating system and can't be seen by any website.On a phone or tablet, connect a keyboard first. Tapping the keys on screen doesn't test anything.Using only a keyboard? Press Esc twice to leave the tester.
How to test your Japanese keyboard
It takes about a minute. Use your physical keyboard: clicking the keys on screen doesn't test anything.
Press every key
Click the keyboard above, then press each key on your Japanese keyboard. Working keys light up and stay tinted, and the counter shows your progress.
Check the special keys
Press the IME toggle key and the Space bar used for conversion. Try Shift and Alt Gr combinations as well, since many characters need them.
Match your keyboard
Choose Windows or Mac, and ISO if your keyboard has an extra key next to the left Shift, so the keyboard on screen matches yours.
About the Japanese keyboard
Japanese is typed through an input method editor (IME). You type in romaji or kana and then convert the text to kanji. Japanese keyboards in the JIS layout have extra keys such as 半角/全角 and 変換, while a US keyboard works too once the Japanese IME is on.
The tester follows the physical key you press, so it shows whether the key itself works. The character that appears in a document depends on the layout selected in Windows or macOS. If the right key lights up but the wrong character appears, change your language setting. Our guide to the keyboard layout explains the standard rows and special keys.
How Japanese typing works
Japanese has thousands of characters, so no keyboard has a key for each one. You type through an input method editor (IME):
- Turn the IME on, so typing produces hiragana instead of Latin letters.
- Type the reading in romaji. “konnichiha” becomes こんにちは as you type.
- Press Space to convert. The IME suggests kanji, and pressing Space again cycles through the options.
- Press Enter to accept the text.
Most people type in romaji input on a normal keyboard. Kana input, where each key types a kana printed on the keycap, is faster once learned but less common. Japanese keyboards print both, which is why the tester above shows kana on each key.
Function keys for quick conversion
While text is still underlined (not yet confirmed), these keys convert it in one step on both Windows and Mac:
| Key | Converts to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| F6 | Hiragana | にほん |
| F7 | Full-width katakana | ニホン |
| F8 | Half-width katakana | ﾆﾎﾝ |
| F9 | Full-width Latin | ｎｉｈｏｎ |
| F10 | Half-width Latin | nihon |
The extra keys on a JIS keyboard
Japanese keyboards use the JIS layout, with 106 or 109 keys on Windows PCs. Compared with a US keyboard they add:
- 半角/全角 (Hankaku/Zenkaku), top left, turns the IME on and off.
- 無変換 (Muhenkan) and 変換 (Henkan) on either side of the Space bar, for converting text.
- カタカナ/ひらがな (Katakana/Hiragana) to the right of Henkan, for switching input modes.
- ¥ next to Backspace and ろ (which types \ and _) next to the right Shift.
- A separate @ key to the right of P, and : and * keys. Shift + 2 types “, and Shift + 7 types ’.
Mac JIS keyboards are simpler: 英数 (Eisu) to the left of the Space bar switches to Latin letters, and かな (Kana) to the right switches to Japanese.
On a US keyboard, switch the IME with Alt + ` on Windows, or Control + Space on a Mac.
Common Japanese keyboard problems
Symbols come out wrong, such as Shift + 2 typing @ instead of “. Windows thinks your JIS keyboard is a US keyboard, or the other way round. Open Settings, Time & language, Language & region, then the options for Japanese. Under Hardware keyboard layout, choose “Japanese keyboard (106/109 key)” or “English keyboard (101/102 key)” to match your keyboard and restart.
Backslashes show up as ¥. That’s normal. Many Japanese fonts draw the backslash character as a yen sign, so file paths look like C:¥Users. The character itself is still a backslash.
Typing produces Latin letters even with Japanese selected. The IME is selected but switched to direct input. Press 半角/全角, or click the A or あ indicator in the taskbar to switch it.
Words convert to the wrong kanji. Press Space again to see more candidates, or use the arrow keys to change which part of the sentence is being converted.
What to press in the tester
The on-screen keyboard above shows the kana for each key, with the Latin letter in the corner. The JIS-only keys (半角/全角, 無変換, 変換, カタカナ/ひらがな, ¥ and ろ) aren’t drawn on it, but your browser still reports them. Press each one and check the Code readout above the keyboard: it should show names such as Convert, NonConvert, KanaMode, IntlYen and IntlRo. If nothing changes when you press a key, the keyboard or its driver isn’t sending it.
Add the Japanese keyboard to Windows or Mac
Install the layout once, then switch to it whenever you type in Japanese.
On Windows
- Open Settings and go to Time & language, then Language & region.
- Click Add a language and install Japanese. If Japanese is already listed, open its options instead.
- Add the Japanese keyboard layout.
- Switch between layouts with the Windows key + Space.
On a Mac
- Open System Settings and click Keyboard.
- Click Edit next to Input Sources.
- Press the plus button, choose Japanese and click Add.
- Switch layouts from the menu bar or with Control + Space.
Fix common Japanese keyboard problems
Most problems come from a wrong layout setting or a stuck key, and both are quick to fix.
Wrong characters appear
The wrong layout is active. Switch with the Windows key + Space, or Control + Space on a Mac, and remove layouts you don't use. Learn how keyboard layouts work.
A key does nothing
If it stays dark in the tester, clean around it and try our fixes for stuck keys. A full keyboard reset fixes many software problems.
Everything types in capitals
Your Caps Lock key may be stuck on. Tap it once, then check it in the tester above.
The keyboard keeps disconnecting
Replace the batteries, move closer to the computer and pair your wireless keyboard again.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my Japanese keyboard online?
Click the keyboard tester at the top of this page and press every key. Each working key lights up and stays tinted. Pay special attention to the IME toggle key and the Space bar used for conversion.
Why does my Japanese keyboard type the wrong characters?
Your computer is using a different layout from the one printed on your keys. If the tester lights up the key you pressed, the keyboard itself is fine. Add the Japanese layout in Windows or macOS and switch to it.
How do I switch between Japanese and English?
On Windows, press the Windows key + Space to move through your layouts. On a Mac, press Control + Space or pick the layout from the input menu in the menu bar.
Is this Japanese keyboard tester free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no download and runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
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