iPad's Japanese Kana layout *****.

Question

iPad's Japanese Kana layout *****.

This is the Japanese "Kana" layout keyboard on iPad.

http://imgc.appbank.net/c/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/iOS5_key-06.jpg

For your information, there are two major way to type Japanese. One is the native "Kana": typing Kana directly. The other is "romaji (roman letters)": typing phonetically using western alphabets. For example, typing 'k', 'a', 'n', 'a' gets you "かな"

The problem is that the Kana layout is not similar to the normal Japanese keyboards. The following is Apple's Japanese keyboard.

http://www.itblog.jp/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/24-7-51-38.jpg

As far as I researched, there was no option for the layout. Why is this? There is no English full-size soft keyboard whose layout is like

a b c d e f g h i j k l

m n o p q r s t u v w

x y z . , ! ? /

It feels exactly like typing with that kind of keyboard. Why did the Apple engineers completely ignore the traditional Kana layout, and use this kind of layout? Is there any Japanese-speaking people here? What do you think?

iPad 2, iOS 5.1.1, 2010 Unibody

Posted on Jul 7, 2012 11:19 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 7, 2012 11:32 PM in response to Jeong-hun Sin

This is a user-to-user technical support forum. Hearing what other people think of the keyboard, while it may be interesting, won't really have much effect.

Submit your feedback directly to Apple using the appropriate link on the Feedback page:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

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Answer 2

minfremi

Level 1

8 points

Mar 4, 2014 5:36 PM in response to Jeong-hun Sin

I have the same exact complaint. I am Japanese in the US who quit using Rōmaji and switched to Kana input, and had to go back to Rōmaji just for the iPad. I just sent them feedback using the link above posted by Meg St._Clair. They apparently did not update the keyboards on the iPad Air iOS 7.0.6, and I doubt it will reach iOS 7.1 coming anytime soon. I really hope they have a regular Kana keyboard that goes ぬふあうえおやゆよわほ゜たていすかんなにらせ゛むへちとしはきくまのりれけろつさそひこみもねるめ instead of あいうえおかきくけこ.... on their soon to come updates. And if they choose to keep their great phonetic charts, I wish they do right to left, instead of left to right, because that is how all Hiragana charts are printed on those books and posters for kids in Japan. I love the 10-key flick Kana method, however. I just wish I can keep that when it's stuck on the bottom of the screen instead of having to use that weird chart.

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