Romaji Converter — Japanese to Romaji
ローマ字変換ツール — Convert hiragana and katakana to romaji
Convert Japanese hiragana (ひらがな) and katakana (カタカナ) to romaji
using the Hepburn romanization system (ヘボン式) — the standard used in
Japanese passports and official documents. Free, no login required.
Hepburn Romanization Chart (ヘボン式ローマ字 一覧)
| Hiragana | Romaji | Katakana | Romaji | Note |
|---|
| あ い う え お | a i u e o | ア イ ウ エ オ | a i u e o | Vowels |
| か き く け こ | ka ki ku ke ko | カ キ ク ケ コ | ka ki ku ke ko | |
| さ し す せ そ | sa shi su se so | サ シ ス セ ソ | sa shi su se so | し=shi |
| た ち つ て と | ta chi tsu te to | タ チ ツ テ ト | ta chi tsu te to | ち=chi, つ=tsu |
| な に ぬ ね の | na ni nu ne no | ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ | na ni nu ne no | |
| は ひ ふ へ ほ | ha hi fu he ho | ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ | ha hi fu he ho | ふ=fu |
| ま み む め も | ma mi mu me mo | マ ミ ム メ モ | ma mi mu me mo | |
| ら り る れ ろ | ra ri ru re ro | ラ リ ル レ ロ | ra ri ru re ro | |
| きゃ きゅ きょ | kya kyu kyo | しゃ しゅ しょ | sha shu sho | Digraphs |
| ちゃ ちゅ ちょ | cha chu cho | にゃ にゅ にょ | nya nyu nyo | |
| っ | doubles next | ん | n (n’ before vowel) | Special |
How to Use the Romaji Converter (ローマ字変換の使い方)
This romaji converter uses the Hepburn romanization system
(ヘボン式ローマ字) to convert Japanese hiragana and katakana to the Latin
alphabet. Simply type or paste Japanese text into the input box and the
romaji output appears instantly — no button press needed. The tool handles
all standard hiragana and katakana, including compound sounds (digraphs)
like しゃ (sha), ちゅ (chu), and special characters like っ (double
consonant) and ん (n).
For kanji characters (漢字), the converter cannot determine the correct
reading automatically — use the kanji handling option to keep them as-is,
show them in brackets, or remove them from the output. If you need full
text including kanji to be romanized, you will need a dictionary-based
tool that can look up kanji readings.
About Hepburn Romanization (ヘボン式ローマ字)
Hepburn romanization was developed by American missionary James Curtis
Hepburn in the 1860s and published in his Japanese-English dictionary.
It is the most widely used romanization system internationally and is
the standard for Japanese passports (旅券), driving licences, and most
English-language Japanese references. Key Hepburn conventions include:
し is written shi (not si), ち is chi (not ti),
つ is tsu (not tu), ふ is fu (not hu), and
じ is ji (not zi).
Alternative systems include Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki romanization,
which are used in some academic and government contexts in Japan. This
converter uses Hepburn as it best reflects how Japanese sounds are
perceived by English speakers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is romaji?
Romaji (ローマ字) is the romanization of Japanese — the representation of Japanese sounds using the Latin alphabet. It is used to help non-Japanese readers pronounce Japanese words, to write Japanese on keyboards that lack Japanese input, and in official documents like passports. The most widely used system is Hepburn romanization (ヘボン式), which is what this converter uses.
What is Hepburn romanization?
Hepburn romanization (ヘボン式ローマ字) is the most internationally recognized system for converting Japanese to the Latin alphabet. It was developed by James Curtis Hepburn in the 1860s and is used in Japanese passports, official documents, and most English-language references to Japanese. Key features include: し = shi, ち = chi, つ = tsu, ふ = fu, じ = ji.
Can this converter handle kanji?
This romaji converter handles hiragana (ひらがな) and katakana (カタカナ) only. Kanji (漢字) cannot be automatically converted to romaji without knowing the correct reading, as most kanji have multiple possible pronunciations (readings). Kanji in the input will be kept as-is, removed, or shown in brackets depending on the option selected.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Hiragana (ひらがな) and katakana (カタカナ) are both Japanese syllabic scripts with the same sounds, but different shapes. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements. Katakana is used mainly for foreign loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. Both can be converted to romaji using this tool.
How do I type Japanese characters to use this converter?
To type Japanese characters, enable a Japanese input method (IME) on your device. On Windows, use the Language Bar to switch to Japanese input. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources and add Japanese. On mobile, add a Japanese keyboard in your device settings. Once enabled, type romaji and the IME will convert it to hiragana or katakana automatically.