Romanization of Japanese
Japanese uses the Roman alphabet as well as kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Romanized text being used for Japanese words, for example for computers, 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 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).
