Switch to a Japanese input source on Mac
After you set up the input sources you want to use on your Mac, you can easily switch between them.
Switch to a Japanese input source
On your Mac, do any of the following:
Use the Input menu: Click the Input menu in the menu bar, then choose an input source. If the input source is dimmed, the current app doesn’t support it.
You can also press Option-Control-Space bar to select the next input source in the Input menu, or Control-Space bar to select the previous input source.
Use the Caps Lock key: If you set an option in Input Sources settings to use the Caps Lock key to change input sources, press the key to switch between a non-Latin input source (such as Japanese) and a Latin input source (such as English).
To check your Input Sources settings, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Go to Text Input on the right, then click Edit. Use the Fn key or
: If you set an option in Keyboard settings to change input sources by using the Fn key or (if available on the keyboard), press the key to display a list of your input sources, then continue pressing the key until the input source you want to use is selected. The list disappears automatically.To check your Keyboard settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Use the Touch Bar: If your Mac has a Touch Bar, and you customized the Control Strip by adding the Input Sources button
, tap the button, then tap a Japanese input source. To learn how to change the Control Strip, see Customize the Touch Bar.
Switch between Japanese input modes
On your Mac, do one of the following:
Switch to Hiragana: Do any of the following:
On a keyboard: Press Control-Shift-J or Option-Shift-Z.
On a JIS keyboard: Press the Kana key (かな).
Switch to Romaji: Do any of the following:
On a keyboard: Press Control-Shift-Apostrophe (') or Option-Shift-S. The Romaji input mode must be selected in settings for the Japanese input source.
Note: You can also press Shift if the “Shift key action” option is set to “Enter Romaji mode.”
To select the option, click the Input menu in the menu bar, choose Open Japanese - Kana Settings or Open Japanese - Romaji Settings, then click Japanese - Kana or Japanese - Romaji in the sidebar.
On a JIS keyboard: Press Control-Shift-Semicolon (;) or press the Eisu key (英数).
Switch to Full-width Romaji: Press Option-Shift-C or Control-Shift-L. The Full-width Romaji input mode must be selected in settings for the Japanese input source.
Switch to Katakana: Do any of the following:
On a keyboard: Press Control-Shift-K or Option-Shift-X. The Katakana input mode must be selected in settings for the Japanese input source.
On a JIS keyboard: Press Shift-Kana key (かな).
Note: You can also press Shift if the “Shift key action” option is set to Type Katakana.
To select the option, click the Input menu in the menu bar, choose Open Japanese - Kana Settings or Open Japanese - Romaji Settings, then click Japanese - Kana or Japanese - Romaji in the sidebar.
Switch to Half-width Katakana: Press Option-Shift-A or Control-Shift-Semicolon (;). The Half-width Katakana input mode must be selected in settings for the Japanese input source.