Romanization of Japanese
(Redirected from Romaji)
Japanese uses the Roman alphabet as well as kanji, hiragana, and katakana. It is often used to put Japanese words on a computer. When Romanized text is used for Japanese words, this is called romaji (ローマ字).
Differences among romanizations
This chart shows in full the three main systems for the romanization of Japanese: Hepburn, Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki:
| Hiragana | Katakana | Hepburn | Nippon-shiki | Kunrei-shiki |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ | ア | a | ||
| い | イ | i | ||
| う | ウ | u | ||
| え | エ | e | ||
| お | オ | o | ||
| や | ャ | ya | ||
| ゆ | ュ | yu | ||
| よ | ョ | yo | ||
| か | カ | ka | ||
| き | キ | ki | ||
| く | ク | ku | ||
| け | ケ | ke | ||
| こ | コ | ko | ||
| きゃ | キャ | kya | ||
| きゅ | キュ | kyu | ||
| きょ | キョ | kyo | ||
| さ | サ | sa | ||
| し | シ | shi | si | |
| す | ス | su | ||
| せ | セ | se | ||
| そ | ソ | so | ||
| しゃ | シャ | sha | sya | |
| しゅ | シュ | shu | syu | |
| しょ | ショ | sho | syo | |
| た | タ | ta | ||
| ち | チ | chi | ti | |
| つ | ツ | tsu | tu | |
| て | テ | te | ||
| と | ト | to | ||
| ちゃ | チャ | cha | tya | |
| ちゅ | チュ | chu | tyu | |
| ちょ | チョ | cho | tyo | |
| な | ナ | na | ||
| に | ニ | ni | ||
| ぬ | ヌ | nu | ||
| ね | ネ | ne | ||
| の | ノ | no | ||
| にゃ | ニャ | nya | ||
| にゅ | ニュ | nyu | ||
| にょ | ニョ | nyo | ||
| は | ハ | ha | ||
| ひ | ヒ | hi | ||
| ふ | フ | fu | hu | |
| へ | ヘ | he | ||
| ほ | ホ | ho | ||
| ひゃ | ヒャ | hya | ||
| ひゅ | ヒュ | hyu | ||
| ひょ | ヒョ | hyo | ||
| ま | マ | ma | ||
| み | ミ | mi | ||
| む | ム | mu | ||
| め | メ | me | ||
| も | モ | mo | ||
| みゃ | ミャ | mya | ||
| みゅ | ミュ | myu | ||
| みょ | ミョ | myo | ||
| や | ヤ | ya | ||
| ゆ | ユ | yu | ||
| よ | ヨ | yo | ||
| ら | ラ | ra | ||
| り | リ | ri | ||
| る | ル | ru | ||
| れ | レ | re | ||
| ろ | ロ | ro | ||
| りゃ | リャ | rya | ||
| りゅ | リュ | ryu | ||
| りょ | リョ | ryo | ||
| わ | ワ | wa | ||
| ゐ | ヰ | i | wi | i |
| ゑ | ヱ | e | we | e |
| を | ヲ | wo | o | |
| ん | ン | n-n'(-m) | n-n' | |
| が | ガ | ga | ||
| ぎ | ギ | gi | ||
| ぐ | グ | gu | ||
| げ | ゲ | ge | ||
| ご | ゴ | go | ||
| ぎゃ | ギャ | gya | ||
| ぎゅ | ギュ | gyu | ||
| ぎょ | ギョ | gyo | ||
| ざ | ザ | za | ||
| じ | ジ | ji | zi | |
| ず | ズ | zu | ||
| ぜ | ゼ | ze | ||
| ぞ | ゾ | zo | ||
| じゃ | ジャ | ja | zya | |
| じゅ | ジュ | ju | zyu | |
| じょ | ジョ | jo | zyo | |
| だ | ダ | da | ||
| ぢ | ヂ | ji | di | zi |
| づ | ヅ | zu | du | zu |
| で | デ | de | ||
| ど | ド | do | ||
| ぢゃ | ヂャ | ja | dya | zya |
| ぢゅ | ヂュ | ju | dyu | zyu |
| ぢょ | ヂョ | jo | dyo | zyo |
| ば | バ | ba | ||
| び | ビ | bi | ||
| ぶ | ブ | bu | ||
| べ | ベ | be | ||
| ぼ | ボ | bo | ||
| びゃ | ビャ | bya | ||
| びゅ | ビュ | byu | ||
| びょ | ビョ | byo | ||
| ぱ | パ | pa | ||
| ぴ | ピ | pi | ||
| ぷ | プ | pu | ||
| ぺ | ペ | pe | ||
| ぽ | ポ | po | ||
| ぴゃ | ピャ | pya | ||
| ぴゅ | ピュ | pyu | ||
| ぴょ | ピョ | pyo | ||
| ゔ | ヴ | vu | ||
This chart shows the differences which can be clearly seen among them.
| Kana | Revised Hepburn | Nihon-shiki | Kunrei-shiki |
|---|---|---|---|
| うう | ū | û | |
| おう, おお | ō | ô | |
| し | shi | si | |
| しゃ | sha | sya | |
| しゅ | shu | syu | |
| しょ | sho | syo | |
| じ | ji | zi | |
| じゃ | ja | zya | |
| じゅ | ju | zyu | |
| じょ | jo | zyo | |
| ち | chi | ti | |
| つ | tsu | tu | |
| ちゃ | cha | tya | |
| ちゅ | chu | tyu | |
| ちょ | cho | tyo | |
| ぢ | ji | di | zi |
| づ | zu | du | zu |
| ぢゃ | ja | dya | zya |
| ぢゅ | ju | dyu | zyu |
| ぢょ | jo | dyo | zyo |
| ふ | fu | hu | |
| ゐ | i | wi | i |
| ゑ | e | we | e |
| を | o | wo | o |
| ん | n-n'(-m) | n-n' | |
Romanization Of Japanese Media
Old sign from the JNR era at Toyooka Station shows inconsistent romanization. Although in principle Hepburn is used, Kokuhu is the kunrei-shiki form (which would be Kokufu in Hepburn).
