The Japanese writing system たのしそうだね

[geishaboy]

First of all, if you have not allready, you have to set you computer to display Japanese script. Try these links, you should be able to pull it off

http://www.autopenhosting.org/unicode/t ... anese.html
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Japanese:C ... n_Japanese

If neither of those work, or you are too lazy to read them simply (If you are running windows:

Click on The start button or go to my computer

Click on "Control Panel"

Click on 'Regional and Language options"

In that, Click on "Languages"

On that part, click to install East Asian languages and complex script components.

After that, go back to the Languages part and click, "Details"

From there you can add Japanese as a preferred language. You can also select Korean, Thai, Chinese and some others.

If that STILL does not work or you dont understand, you will have to get a friend of parent or someone to show you how to do it.

[geishaboy]

Right, on from that are the three types of Japanese characters.

The first set is Hiragana ひらがな. Hiragana is the native set used to write Japanese words and names. It looks very smooth and curvy.

The second is Katakana カタカナ. Katakana is used to write foriegn words and sounds. It is very straight and sharp looking.

The third is Kanji　漢字. Kanji are Chinese characters used to represent words or parts of words. They have many strokes and can look very complicated.

All right, now some linkage
Hiragana chart
Katakana Chart
Introduction to Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana can also be found on this website

I'm going to have to leave the learning of these three character sets up to you. It does take a while to learn them all but once you do, you never forget them.

Also, learn Hiragana and Katakana first, Kanji last. There are over 3000 Kanji used in everyday Japan, so you don't need to get too serious with them.

[Xehanort]

THANKS!

[Gyro Zeppeli]

Right, on from that are the three types of Japanese characters.

The first set is Hiragana ひらがな. Hiragana is the native set used to write Japanese words and names. It looks very smooth and curvy.

The second is Katakana カタカナ. Katakana is used to write foriegn words and sounds. It is very straight and sharp looking.

The third is Kanji　漢字. Kanji are Chinese characters used to represent words or parts of words. They have many strokes and can look very complicated.

I've heard of Romaji also.

[geishaboy]

You don't need to learn romaji because you allready know it. Romaji is Japanese words written in the english alphabet, the Japanese never use this one.

[Kenshin]

umm yeah it didn't work on mine it said that i need this one CD

[geishaboy]

You need the original windows CD to complete the process sometmes. If you dont have your CD, I think you can download the files from the microsoft website.

If you don't use windows I can't help you.

[Mazda Rx-7 F3SD]

arigatou gozaimas for the information

[meadoll]

thanks for help

[Holy*Man]

Dam, wish I knew some Japanese kanji when I went to Japan

[Ryukon]

You can always ask what a kanji means.

[Kurokasai Senshu]

its just like if i said dyoxirhybonucleic acid and you couldnt read it so you just ask "what does that mean?"

[Kurokasai Senshu]

can i get a link to the part of the microsoft site that gives that download?

[~Kyashi~]

i wish i could go to japan.

[Dreams]

Don't forget furigana/rubi! It rocks n00bs' worlds!

It's tiny kana written alongside or on top of kanji to show pronounciation.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furigana

[Kamakun]

I thinkk there is something wrong with it, first there is no kanji and second is hiragana supposed　to make characters with english letters? いぇｓ (yes)