Japanese · Kana and kanji
Convert Japanese text to Romaji
Convert hiragana, katakana, kanji, or mixed Japanese text to four named Romaji profiles. A local morphological dictionary supplies contextual readings; your selected rules then control spelling and long vowels.
Reading breakdown
Source tokens, kana readings, and Romaji
Dictionary boundaries are useful reading aids, not a full linguistic annotation.
| Source token | Kana reading | Romaji |
|---|
How this Japanese Romaji converter works
Kanji and mixed text
A bundled, version-locked Japanese morphological dictionary finds contextual readings for kanji and mixed text. It also identifies particles such as は and へ before the selected Romaji rules are applied. Unknown names and newer vocabulary remain visible instead of receiving invented readings.
Four precise profiles
Traditional Hepburn writes し as shi and changes syllabic n to m before b, m, or p. Modified Hepburn keeps n. Kunrei-shiki uses forms such as si and ti; strict Nihon-shiki also preserves ぢ as di, づ as du, and を as wo.
Long-vowel handling
Pronunciation data distinguishes a phonetic long vowel from two separate vowels: 王 can become ō while 追う remains ou. Kana-spelling mode instead follows the written reading. Macron, circumflex, doubled-vowel, and omitted-length modes use pronunciation information.
Standards boundary
The selectable names describe historically established systems, not a claim of full cataloging or place-name compliance. Japan replaced its 1954 Cabinet rule in December 2025 with a separate Hepburn-based rule; among other differences, it keeps n throughout and uses cch in maccha. Read the current Agency for Cultural Affairs rule.
System comparison
| Kana | Traditional Hepburn | Modified Hepburn | Kunrei-shiki | Nihon-shiki |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| し・ち・つ・ふ | shi · chi · tsu · fu | shi · chi · tsu · fu | si · ti · tu · hu | si · ti · tu · hu |
| ぢ・づ・を | ji · zu · o | ji · zu · o | zi · zu · o | di · du · wo |
| しんぶん | shimbun | shinbun | sinbun | sinbun |
| まっちゃ | matcha | matcha | mattya | mattya |
Japanese Romaji converter FAQ
Does Romaji translate Japanese into English?
No. Romanization rewrites a Japanese reading in Latin letters; it does not translate the meaning or replace a Japanese dictionary.
Why can a name or kanji have a different reading?
Many kanji have several readings, and personal or place names often use exceptional ones. The local dictionary chooses from context, but a knowledgeable reader should verify important names.
Which Hepburn option should I choose?
Traditional Hepburn is useful when you want spellings such as shimbun; Modified Hepburn keeps n in shinbun. The current 2025 Japanese government rule is a separate Hepburn-based standard, including cch in maccha, and is not silently substituted for either profile.