Furigana Generator — Add Readings to Kanji
ふりがな生成ツール — Add hiragana readings above kanji characters
Paste or type Japanese text to add furigana (ふりがな) readings above kanji
automatically. Powered by kuromoji Japanese morphological analysis.
Output in HTML ruby format, bracket notation, or rendered preview.
Free, no login, runs entirely in your browser.
Furigana Examples (ふりがな例文)
| Kanji |
With Furigana |
Reading |
Meaning |
| 東京 | 東京 | tōkyō | Tokyo |
| 日本語 | 日本語 | nihongo | Japanese language |
| 勉強 | 勉強 | benkyō | Study |
| 学校 | 学校 | gakkō | School |
| 食べ物 | 食べ物 | tabemono | Food |
| 新聞 | 新聞 | shinbun | Newspaper |
| 電車 | 電車 | densha | Train |
| 図書館 | 図書館 | toshokan | Library |
How to Use the Furigana Generator (ふりがな生成の使い方)
This furigana generator uses kuromoji, a Japanese
morphological analysis engine, to identify kanji in your text and add
the correct hiragana readings above them. To use it, wait for the
dictionary to finish loading (shown by the status indicator), then
paste or type Japanese text into the input box and click
Generate Furigana. The tool analyses the text in context,
so it can correctly distinguish between kanji that have multiple
readings — for example 日 can be read as にち or ひ depending on context.
Choose from three output formats: Preview shows
rendered furigana above kanji as it would appear to a reader.
HTML gives you the raw ruby tag markup to paste
directly into a website or document. Bracket notation
writes the reading in square brackets after each word — useful for
plain text contexts like email or spreadsheets.
What is Furigana? (ふりがなとは)
Furigana (ふりがな) are small hiragana characters placed above or beside
kanji to indicate their pronunciation. They are widely used in Japanese
children’s books, educational materials, manga, and public signage to
make kanji accessible to readers who may not know all the readings.
In HTML, furigana is implemented using the <ruby>
and <rt> tags, which are supported by all modern
browsers.
Unlike furigana, romaji
transcribes Japanese sounds into the Latin alphabet for non-Japanese
readers. For era date conversion and other Japanese calendar tools,
see the date and calendar tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is furigana?
Furigana (ふりがな) are small phonetic characters printed above or beside kanji to show their pronunciation. They use hiragana script and are commonly used in children’s books, educational materials, manga, and any text where the reader may not know how to read certain kanji. The HTML equivalent of furigana is the ruby annotation tag: <ruby>漢字<rt>かんじ</rt></ruby>.
How does the furigana generator work?
This furigana generator uses kuromoji, a Japanese morphological analysis engine, to tokenize your input text and identify kanji along with their readings. The tool adds hiragana furigana above each kanji character using HTML ruby annotations. Simply paste or type Japanese text into the input box and click Generate Furigana. The tool works entirely in your browser — no text is sent to any server.
Can I copy the furigana output to use in my documents?
Yes. The furigana generator provides three output formats: HTML (ruby tags for use in web pages), plain text with readings in brackets (e.g. 東京[とうきょう]), and rendered preview showing furigana above kanji. You can copy any format using the Copy button. The HTML format is compatible with most word processors and web editors that support ruby annotations.
Are the furigana readings always accurate?
The furigana generator is highly accurate for standard Japanese text, as it uses context-aware morphological analysis to determine the correct reading. However, like all automated tools, it may occasionally produce incorrect readings for unusual kanji combinations, proper nouns, or highly specialized vocabulary. Always review the output when accuracy is critical, such as for educational materials or publications.
What is the difference between furigana and romaji?
Furigana uses hiragana characters (the Japanese phonetic script) to show how kanji are read, and is primarily used within Japanese text for Japanese readers who may not know certain kanji. Romaji uses the Latin alphabet to represent Japanese sounds and is used for non-Japanese readers or for romanizing Japanese text. For romaji conversion, use the JapanCalc Romaji Converter tool.