Installing the Japanese IME

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is it?

The IME (Input Management Editor) is a Windows add-on provided by Microsoft that allows users of English (and other) versions of Windows to type complex East Asian scripts.

Who needs it?

Users of English versions of Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000 do not need to download the IME - the IME and the East Asian fonts are provided as standard as part of these operating systems. They are however not installed by default. Here are instructions for installing the IME under Windows 2000/XP.

For users of non-East Asian version of Windows 95/98/ME who would like to be able to read/display and/or type these scripts will need to download a copy of the IME. See below for details.

What languages are available?

Microsoft has provided IMEs for Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. This Guide deals only with installing and using the Japanese IME. Here are links to guides for using the Korean and Chinese IMEs.

What IME keyboard short cuts are available?

With the Windows XP Japanese IME there seem to be only four keyboard shortcuts.
 

Control + Shift:		This switches between IME languages (ie. between English & Japanese, and back again).
Control + CapLocks:		This shortcut switches to katakana input mode.
Control + CapLocks (Twice quickly):		This shortcut switches to hiragana input mode.
Control + ~ :		This switches between the current input mode and the English (Latin script -- direct input) mode within the Japanese IME.

To install the Japanese IME in Windows 7, start by opening the Control Panel.

Click the Start Button and chose Control Panel:

Then click the "Clock, Language and Region" option.

You should then see the Regional and Language Options option as shown below. Under the Keyboards and Languages item select Change keyboards....

That will bring up the Keyboard and Languages tab in the Regional and Language Options dialogue. Click the Change keyboards... button:

In "Text Services and Input Languages" dialog box we need to add the Japanese IME and the Japanese Keyboard components.

Click the "Add..." button.

You should now see the "Add Input Language" dialog box.

Scroll down to the Japanese entry, expand it and be sure that both the Japanese and Microsoft IME items are selected as shown below:

Finally click the "OK" button.

You should end up with a "Japanese" entry under "Installed Services".

Finally click the "OK" button.

You may be asked to put your Windows Vista CD-ROM in the CD drive so that the relevant files can be copied across to your hard drive. NOTE: You can not install the IME without the CD (please do not email me to ask..!).

That's it. You should now see the IME icon in your task bar that has a Japanese option when it is clicked... like this:

If you have the Japanese IME selected as above and you right click on the JP you will bring up the Options Menu:

Choosing the Restore Language bar option will convert the IME into a floating toolbar with all the IME options visible:

Click on the Input Mode button (an "A" by default) will allow you to select the Input Mode:

The IME Pad button will bring up the IME Features menu. This includes handwriting recognition:

kanji by stroke count:

And kanji by radical:

There is also a soft-keyboard option which allows direct input of hiragana and katakana:

Here is a text box that will let you try   .

See up here for the available Japanese IME keyboard shortcuts.
 

NOTE: You can not install the IME without the Windows installation CD (Please do not email me to ask).

To install the Japanese IME in Windows Vista, start by opening the Control Panel.

Click the Start Button:

and chose Control Panel:

Then click the "Clock, Language and Regional" option.

You should then see the Regional and Language Options option as shown below. Under the Regional and Language Options item select Change keyboards or other input methods.

That will bring up the Keyboard and Languages tab in the Regional and Language Options dialogue. Click the Change keyboards... button:

In "Text Services and Input Languages" dialog box we need to add the Japanese IME and the Japanese Keyboard components.

Click the "Add..." button.

You should now see the "Add Input Language" dialog box.

Scroll down to the Japanese entry, expand it and be sure that both the Japanese and Microsoft IME items are selected as shown below:

Finally click the "OK" button.

You should end up with a "Japanese" entry under "Installed Services".

Finally click the "OK" button.

You may be asked to put your Windows Vista CD-ROM in the CD drive so that the relevant files can be copied across to your hard drive. NOTE: You can not install the IME without the CD (please do not email me to ask..!).

That's it. You should now see the IME icon in your task bar that has a Japanese option when it is clicked... like this:

If you have the Japanese IME selected as above and you right click on the JP you will bring up the Options Menu:

Choosing the Restore Language bar option will convert the IME into a floating toolbar with all the IME options visible:

Click on the Input Mode button (an "A" by default) will allow you to select the Input Mode:

The IME Pad button will bring up the IME Features menu. This includes handwriting recognition:

kanji by stroke count:

And kanji by radical:

There is also a soft-keyboard option which allows direct input of hiragana and katakana:

Here is a text box that will let you try   .

See up here for the available Japanese IME keyboard shortcuts.
 

NOTE: You can not install the IME without the Windows installation CD (Please do not email me to ask).

To install the Japanese IME, start by opening the Control Panel (Click the "Start Menu" and chose the "Control Panel"). Then click the "Date, Time, Language and Regional Options" icon.

The select the "Add Other languages" task.

You should then see the "Regional and Language Options" dialog box as shown below.
Two things need to be done here:

    1.    Click on the "Install files for East Asian Languages" check box
            (This ensures that the correct fonts are installed).

    2.    Then click the "Details" button.
            You should then see the "Text Services and Input Languages" dialog box.

In "Text Services and Input Languages" dialog box we need to add the Japanese IME and the Japanese Keyboard components.

Click the "Add..." button.

You should now see the "Add Input Language" dialog box.

Chose "Japanese" in the "Input language" combo box as illustrated below.

Still in the "Add Input Language" dialog box, in the "Keyboard layout/IME" combo box and chose "Microsoft IME Standard 2002 ver. 8.1".

Finally click the "OK" button.

You should end up with a "Japanese" entry under "Installed Services".

Be sure that there is also a keyboard entry under "Japanese" and that it is the "Microsoft IME Standard 2002 ver. 8.1" and NOT just "Japanese".

Finally click the "OK" button.

You may be asked to put your Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD drive so that the relevant files can be copied across to your hard drive. NOTE: You can not install the IME without the CD (please do not email me to ask..!).

That's it. After rebooting you should now see the IME icon in your task bar

that has a Japanese option when it is clicked... like this

To convert the IME into a floating toolbar click the Restore button as displayed below:

The Options button will bring up the Options Menu:

Click on the Input Mode button (an "A" by default) will allow you to select the Input Mode:

Likewise for kanji conversion modes:

The IME Pad button will bring up the IME Features menu which includes a soft-keyboard which allows direct input of hiragana and katakana:

And the Options button will bring up the IME Options Menu:

Here is a text box that will let you try   .

See up here for the available Japanese IME keyboard shortcuts.
 

NOTE: You can not install the IME without the Windows installation CD (Please do not email me to ask).

To install the Japanese IME, start by Open the Control Panel (Click the "Start Menu" and chose the "Control Panel"). Then click the "Keyboard" icon.

The Keyboard Properties dialogue box will open. Now select the "Input Locales" tab.

That will display the current installed input locale IMEs:

To add the Japanese Input Locale click the "Add..." button and you will see the "Add Input Locale" dialog box. Chose "Japanese" in the "Input locale" combo box as illustrated below.

And choose "Japanese Input System (MS-IME 2000)" in the "Keyboard layout/IME" combo box.

Be sure not to choose just "Japanese" as the Keyboard layout/IME - this will not work.

You should end up with these options selected:

Now press the OK button.

Now you should see a Japanese IME entry in the Installed Input Locales window:

Now close the Keyboard Properties dialogue box by clicking OK. You may now be asked to reboot.

That's it.  After rebooting you should (if you already don't) see the IME icon in your task bar

that has a Japanese option when it is clicked... like this

If you right click on the activated taskbar icon you will get display the option features. These can be permanently displayed on a floating toolbar by selecting "Display Toolbar".

Here is the floating IME toolbar:

Which gives access to the various input modes:

And kanji conversion modes:

Clicking the IME Pad icon will bring up the IME's soft-keyboard

which itself has various layout options:

Here is a text box that will let you try   .
 

NOTE: You can not install the IME without the Windows installation CD (Please do not email me to ask).

Windows 95/98/ME

Where can I get it?

Microsoft Global IME 5.02 Download Page

What version to download?

There are two downloadable versions of each IME - with the "Language Pack" and without the "Language Pack". Those with a Language Pack include an appropriate unicode font. In the case of the Japanese IME with Language Pack the font is the MS Minchu. It is recommended that you download the "with Language Pack" version.

How big is the download?

The Japanese IME itself is 3.11MB (msjaime.exe) and with the Language Pack (jamodo.exe) it is (5.20MB).

How do I install the IME?

Simply download the package from the link above and run the file. You will be required to reboot before the IME is activated.

What next?

Here is a text box that will let you try .

How do I use the Windows 98 IME?

The desired one can be selected with the mouse or by repeated pressing the space key (and finally the enter key) or by typing the corresponding number.

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