Kana Input vs. Romaji Input: Which Is Faster? Keystroke Counts and How to Choose

Romaji input types kana as combinations of alphabet keys: か takes two keystrokes (k and a), あ takes one (a). Kana input types the kana printed on the keys directly: か is one press of the か key.

Other input methods exist, but this article does not cover them, because I have not researched them.

First, how I counted. The material is the 16,132 words in Typing Musou's prompt dictionary (v20260910). Their hiragana readings add up to 66,132 characters.

• Counting romaji input

  Each kana is counted with its shortest accepted spelling (si, ti, tu, hu, zi, sya, ja and so on). っ is one keystroke that doubles the next consonant, and ん is a single n before a consonant and nn otherwise (including at the end of a word).

• Counting kana input

  One keystroke per kana, plus one for each voiced or semi-voiced mark. Small kana (ぁぃぅぇぉゃゅょっ) are typed with Shift, so I counted two ways: Shift not counted, and Shift counted as one keystroke.

I do not know. Finishing time depends on how long each keystroke takes as well as on how many there are. With fewer keystrokes, long hesitations while searching for keys could still make you slower; with more keystrokes, fast individual presses can close the gap.

I could not find an experiment that compared the speed of romaji input and kana input under the same conditions (within the searches I ran). There is large-scale research on English typing, but it does not compare Japanese input methods.

In the game, WPM is counted in romaji keystrokes (Average WPM and Benchmarks). A figure like kana input's “characters per minute” uses a different unit, so the two cannot be compared directly.

I think starting with romaji input is the easier path. Here are the confirmed facts, kept separate from my own view.

• Confirmed: elementary school teaches romaji

  Elementary school Japanese teaches reading and writing romaji in grade 3 (the course of study). The summary of deliberations toward the next course of study, published October 5, 2026 (a document still under deliberation), calls elementary typing “typing by romaji input” and points toward teaching it mainly in the “information area” of Integrated Studies. The commentary for Japanese language that I read does not mention romaji input or kana input.

• My view: the key positions match English typing

  The alphabet key positions you learn for romaji input carry straight over to English text and passwords. With kana input, you use the kana positions and also the alphabet positions separately. For someone who wants less to memorize, I think romaji input is easier.

• Kana input's strength: fewer keystrokes

  As counted above, kana input types the same words in fewer keystrokes. Whether that turns into speed is not established, but for someone already used to kana input, I see no reason to give this up for now.

I could not find official statistics on the share of kana input and romaji input users, so I will not claim that “most people use romaji input.”

If nothing is bothering you, there is no need to change. A reason to switch would be, for example, wanting to play a game that assumes romaji input, such as Typing Musou. There is no evidence that switching makes you faster.

If you switch, I think it goes more smoothly to set a period and relearn from the home row. Right after switching, your speed will probably drop. Use How to Get Faster at Typing for the learning order and the Romaji Input Chart for how to type each kana.

In Microsoft IME on Windows, after enabling a setting you can press Alt plus the Hiragana key to switch between kana input and romaji input. The setting is called “Switch Kana/Romaji input with Alt + Katakana Hiragana Romaji key” in the Microsoft IME settings under General (Microsoft's official page). I have not confirmed how to switch in other environments.

Romaji input only. There is no kana input mode. You press the keys for the romaji shown under each prompt, and the game does no Japanese conversion.

In the “Romaji Spelling” setting you can change how the romaji is shown, such as si or shi for し. Judging always accepts every spelling (Hepburn vs. Kunrei for Typing). If you are learning romaji input for the first time, the Home Position Dojo takes you from finger placement to typing hiragana, step by step.

• Q. What share of people use kana input?

  I could not find official statistics. Figures circulate online, but I could not confirm their sources, so I do not quote them here.

• Q. What about thumb-shift and other input methods?

  This article does not cover them, because I have not researched them.

• Q. Do elementary schools teach romaji input or kana input?

  Elementary school Japanese teaches reading and writing romaji in grade 3. The commentary for Japanese language that I read does not mention romaji input or kana input, though the summary of deliberations toward the next course of study (still under deliberation) calls elementary typing “typing by romaji input.” Check your school's guidance for how classes actually handle it.

• Q. Can kana-input typists play Typing Musou?

  No. Typing Musou supports romaji input only. If a kana typist wants to learn romaji input, the Home Position Dojo is a place to start.

The statements drawn from public documents and official pages were checked against the sources below (checked on October 18, 2026; the Japanese-language documents are in Japanese). Page numbers are PDF page numbers. The keystroke counts come from counting the prompt dictionary; the method is in the text.

1. MEXT, commentary on the elementary school Course of Study (2017 notice), Japanese language — Romaji in grade 3 (pp. 80–83). I also searched the full text and confirmed that the terms “romaji input” and “kana input” do not appear
2. Central Council for Education, curriculum committee, “Summary of deliberations toward the next Course of Study” (October 5, 2026) — Part 1, p. 140. A document from the deliberation stage, before any final report or notice
3. Microsoft Support, “Microsoft Japanese IME” — The setting that lets Alt + Hiragana switch between kana input and romaji input (keyboard shortcuts table)
4. Dhakal, V., Feit, A. M., Kristensson, P. O., Oulasvirta, A. “Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes.” CHI 2018 — Large-scale research on English typing. It does not compare Japanese input methods
5. Typing Musou's prompt dictionary (v20260910), the readings of 16,132 words — The counting method is described in the text

Kana input needs fewer keystrokes: about 70% of romaji input's in the game's prompt dictionary. But that has not been shown to mean faster typing. For a beginner, I think romaji input is the easier path because of school romaji and key positions shared with English typing. If you already use kana input without trouble, there is no need to change.