Can I use my Japanese keyboard while using English language?

Question

JKK82 Author

Level 1

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Can I use my Japanese keyboard while using English language?

Hi

I'm a complete noob when it comes to Mac's as this is my first.

I purchased a Mac with a Japanese keyboard as i'm half Japanese and use Japanese quite alot.

I'm wondering if I can use the Japanese keyboard whilst in English language mode.

I can get it to type Romaji but it won't seem to let me use the actual Japanese letters that are on the keys whilst i'm in English language.

If anyone knows a way please tell me.

Cheers

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Nov 8, 2012 5:43 AM

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Answer 1

dmdimon

Level 3

856 points

Nov 8, 2012 5:47 AM in response to JKK82

one language at once. Mean you have to switch to eng to write eng and back to jp to write jp.

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Answer 2

JKK82 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 8, 2012 5:56 AM in response to dmdimon

I get that you can't use both at the same time.

What i mean is i have my OS set for English language, menus and stuff are in English.

I want to use the Japanese keyboard whilst in English language mode, i don't want to keep changing the whole system in to Japanese just to use the Japanese keyboard properly.

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Answer 3

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,252 points

Nov 8, 2012 6:22 AM in response to JKK82

Go to the Kotoeri Preferences item toward the bottom of the input menu when you have the Kotoeri IM showing in the "flag" menu and set it to Kana typing instead of Romaji typing where it says Input Style.

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Answer 4

JKK82 Author

Level 1

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Nov 8, 2012 6:36 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

When i click the flag i have Hiragana and Katakana choices.

I left the Romaji option off but I still can't use my Japanese keyboard as it's ment to be used.

Still just Romaji which I could use on a standard keyboard.

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Answer 5

dmdimon

Level 3

856 points

Nov 8, 2012 6:36 AM in response to JKK82

set desirable system lang (US-en) first in (editable) list here, add all keyboards you need, remove anything you don't need:

Everything you checkmark here:

will appear in "flag" menu near system clock:

also take a look at shortcuts for layout switching

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Answer 6

JKK82 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 8, 2012 6:45 AM in response to dmdimon

Yep i've done all that.

My flag drop down gives me Hiragana and Katakana but it doesn't actually use the characters printed on the keyboard. I still have to use Romaji to type Japanese which makes the Japanese characters printed on the keys a bit pointless.

Basically I have to keep swapping from English to Japanese OS.

Think I'll pop to an Apple store and show them what I mean and maybe they can get apple to update for me, lol.

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Answer 7

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,252 points

Nov 8, 2012 6:49 AM in response to JKK82

JKK82 wrote:

My flag drop down gives me Hiragana and Katakana

Underneath those, when Hiragana is selected, do you really not see the item called Kotoeri Preferences? That is where you set the Input Style to Kana Typing as I told you earlier.

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