Help! Getting computer to type in Japanese

[Nariel]

I've been trying to set my computer up to type in Japanese, but so far, I haven't gotten it. I've installed the language pack, but I am now at a loss.

[Aku no Hikari]

First make sure that you have added the Japanese language to the list of input languages you use. Do you see the Language Bar? If not, right-click the Task Bar, select Toolbars -> Language Bar. Now repeatedly press Alt+Shift to cycle between the languages that you have them added. If you don't see "JP", right click the Language Bar and select Settings. From there, click Add. Select "Japanese" from the drop-down menu, tick Keyboard layout/IME, click OK, and then click OK again.

Now to type in Japanese, first switch to the Japanese language by repeatedly pressing Alt+Shift until the language bar button changes to "JP". The IME is now set to "Direct input". You should see a little button on the language bar that reads "A". If the rest of the language bar isn't visible (this happens in Windows XP), right-click the language bar and select Adjust Language Bar Position. This is kinda buggy, and sometimes you need to repeat it more than once in order for the rest of the language bar to show up. Now when you see that "A" button, click it and select Hiragana. Now you'll be able to input Japanese in Hiragana.

Note that every time you start a new application, you will have to switch to Hiragana mode if you want to type in Hiragana for that application.

EDIT: Note that I assumed you are using Windows XP, but if you are using Vista or 7, the process should be more or less the same. If you are using Linux or something else, disregard everything that I said.

[ArtemisA]

Is there any easy way to do this on a PC? I'm used to typing in Japanese on a Mac (which is really, really easy), but I still hardly know how to do it on Windows. Like, are there keyboard shortcuts or anything?

[Aku no Hikari]

I just Googled it. There's a shortcut that saves your butt from using the language bar at all. Just press Ctrl+CapsLock to switch to Hiragana mode.

So yeah, the shortest answer to this thread is: Press Alt+Shift until you switch to Japanese, and then Ctrl+CapsLock to switch to Hiragana mode. (Assuming everything is configured.)

But if you mean that you want it to be set to Hiragana mode by default so you don't have to switch it to manually switch it every time, then sadly, no...

I wonder what the hell those monkeys programming for Microsoft were drinking when they wrote the IME.

EDIT: Actually, you can also press Alt+CapsLock to switch to Katakana.
ANOTHER EDIT: Actually, refer to the following article for more shortcuts and tips for using the IME:

http://thejapanesepage.com/w/index.php?title=IME

[ArtemisA]

Sweet, thanks.

It's nice on a Mac, since you just disable the regular English input and leave it on "Romaji" mode, then you switch using Ctrl-Shift-J/K/L/;, but if I don't have to mess with the language bar that's helpful.

[Wio]

It's nice on any machine once you figure out how to use it.

By the way, it's not CTRL + Capslock, it's ALT + ` (with ~ above, near 1 key)

[Aku no Hikari]

It's nice on any machine once you figure out how to use it.

By the way, it's not CTRL + Capslock, it's ALT + ` (with ~ above, near 1 key)

Nah, both of them work. Alt+` switches between Alphanumeric and the current mode (Hiragana, Katakana, etc.), while Ctrl+CapsLock only switches to Hiragana. (It doesn't switch back if you press it again.)