How to read and write in Japanese

This guide aims at explaining how to read and write in Japanese on a non-Japanese system. Please feel free to amend it based on personal knowledge or experience.

Requirements
In order to support Japanese language and characters, a number of required tools, libraries and capabilities need to be installed on the system.

Japanese fonts
Most non-Japanese systems have no Japanese fonts installed. Whenever a user tries to enter Japanese characters from the keyboard, they will only see small rectangle boxes in place of the characters on the screen.

Input method
To read and write in Japanese, the first thing that is needed is a way to enter Japanese characters with the keyboard. This is done via a piece of software usually called an input method. At the moment, for the Japanese language, there are 2 such common methods: anthy and mozc.

With such a software component typing "ta" on the keyboard will input the kana た into the word processor. Some simple manipulation that is relevant to the way the input method works, will permit to easily switch from the hiragana た to the katakana タ.

In a similar way typing "nihon" will input にほん and an other simple manipulation will permit to turn this to the kanji version of this word, 日本.

IME
On top of this users also need a way to switch from the input method normally used for the primary language to the one needed for the Japanese language. This functionality is provided by another piece of software called an IME (Input Method Editor) such as, or.

Once installed, this allows users to switch from one language's input method to the Japanese input method using a key combination or using the mouse to select a relevant icon in the icon tray.

Japanese fonts
As a minimum, install the package.

Additionally, the following packages are also available:

Input tools
It is recommended to use ibus instead of scim.

To install ibus, install :

mozc
is provided through the package.

Launching the ibus daemon at login time
Add these lines to the file and log out/log in again.

This will allow the ibus daemon to start at login time.

Configuring
To configure the Input Method Editor, use the following command as a standard user

Alternatively, when using GNOME, type "ibus" in the search bar and launch "ibus-preferences".

In the dialog box that appears, click on the tab and add the "japanese-anthy" method. Then return to the tab and define a key combination as a keyboard short cut for switching the input method.

Latex
Here are some additional requirements to write Latex files in Japanese.

ibus-qt
When using editor aiming at writing Latex files such as TexMaker or TexStudio, ibus crashes each time a Latex command is entered (specially after entering the {{Key|{}} char). To solve this kind of malfunctioning install :

CJK and xetex support
In order to write Japanese chunks in Latex files, add support for CJK languages and for [xetex] in Texlive.

This can be accomplished by adding or modifying the following lines in :

Then reinstall the packages:

Here is a working short LaTeX sample:

Editor configuration
To compile and visualize the output of the sample above Texmaker or Texstudio editor needs to be configured properly.

Open Texmaker, and go to ->. Under the tab change the following:


 * At the LaTeX line, change "latex" with "platex".
 * At the Dvipdfm line, change "divipdfm" with "dvipdfmx".

Through the tab, choose "Latex + Dvipdfm + View PDF".

Finally go to the tab, choose UTF8 encoding and deselect  on the dictionary line.