- Romaji (ローマ字) = Japanese written with Latin letters.
- The most common system is Hepburn: shi, chi, tsu, fu.
- In Japan, romaji appears on signs, passports, and when typing Japanese.
- Use it for the first days, then switch to kana as fast as you can.
What romaji is
Romaji (ローマじ, literally “Roman letters”) transcribes Japanese sounds with the Latin alphabet. It was developed for foreigners and is still used wherever Japanese needs to be readable without Japanese script.
Hepburn vs. Kunrei
| Kana | Hepburn | Kunrei-shiki |
|---|---|---|
| し | shi | si |
| ち | chi | ti |
| つ | tsu | tu |
| ふ | fu | hu |
| じ | ji | zi |
| しゃ | sha | sya |
Hepburn is designed to be read naturally by English speakers and is used on most signs, in passports and in textbooks (including this site). Kunrei-shiki follows the structure of the kana chart more strictly and appears mainly in some Japanese schools and official contexts.
Where you’ll see romaji in Japan
- Station names and road signs
- Passports and official documents for names
- Company and brand names
- Typing: most people type Japanese on a computer by entering romaji, which turns into kana and then kanji
That last point makes romaji genuinely useful: with a Japanese input method, typing nihongo gives you にほんご, then 日本語.
Why staying on romaji is a trap
- Pronunciation suffers. Your brain reads Latin letters with English sounds: ra gets an English r, e becomes “ay”.
- It doesn’t scale. Real Japanese, from menus to manga, is written in kana and kanji.
- It slows down reading. Every switch to real Japanese feels like starting over.
- Spaces and long vowels confuse. Romaji spellings vary, while kana is consistent.
Switch to kana in two weeks
Hiragana has just 46 basic characters. With one row a day, you’re done in about two weeks. Start right here:
Romaji spellings that trip people up
| Romaji | Kana | Note |
|---|---|---|
| konnichiwa | こんにちは | written with は, read wa |
| o (particle) | を | sometimes romanised as wo |
| n' in kin'en | きんえん | the apostrophe separates ん from a following vowel |
| Tōkyō | とうきょう | long vowels with macrons |
| Ōsaka | おおさか | long o written おお here, not おう |
These quirks are a good reason to learn kana: in Japanese script, the spelling is consistent.
How to type Japanese
- Add a Japanese keyboard / input method in your phone or computer settings.
- Type in romaji: arigatou → ありがとう.
- Press space to convert to kanji when needed: 有難う or keep it in kana.
- Use nn for ん and double the consonant for small っ: kitte → きって.
Frequently asked questions
What is romaji?
Romaji (ローマ字) is Japanese written in the Latin alphabet, such as 'konnichiwa' for こんにちは. The most common system is Hepburn romanisation.
Should I learn Japanese with romaji?
Only at the very beginning. Romaji helps for a few days, but switching to hiragana and katakana quickly improves your pronunciation and reading speed.
Do Japanese people use romaji?
Yes, mainly for signs, passports, brand names and typing: most people type Japanese on computers by entering romaji, which is converted into kana and kanji.
How do I type in Japanese?
Add a Japanese input method in your device settings, then type in romaji: 'arigatou' becomes ありがとう. Press space to convert to kanji.