Before You Start Typing at Home — Devices, Time, Eye Health and What to Say

There are three things to prepare.

• 1. A device with a physical keyboard

  Typing Musou cannot be played with an on-screen keyboard. Use a computer, or a tablet with an external keyboard attached.

• 2. Rules for time and eye health

  Follow MEXT's guidebook guidance: keep the eyes at least 30 cm from the screen, look into the distance for 20 seconds or more every 30 minutes, and avoid devices in the hour before bed.

• 3. What to say to keep them going

  There is no official standard. Use the school examples and the operator's suggestions. Avoid scolding over numbers; compare the child with their own last result.

In all three, some parts can be checked against official documents and some are the operator's suggestions. Each section keeps them apart.

Typing Musou works on a computer (Windows or Mac) or on a tablet with an external physical keyboard. It cannot be played with an on-screen keyboard.

• If you bring the school device home

  MEXT's guidebook says that taking one-device-per-student tablets home for study is increasing. Whether a keyboard comes with it depends on the school. MEXT noted that some schools did not buy keyboards in the first phase of GIGA School, and its April 17, 2024 minimum-specification standard states that a keyboard is required. If the device has no keyboard, ask the school.

• A computer at home

  A Windows or Mac computer with a built-in keyboard is fine. Both JIS and US layouts work. For differences in symbol key positions, see Choosing a Keyboard for Typing Practice.

• iPad and other tablets

  An iPad can connect to Bluetooth accessories such as keyboards (Apple's user guide). With an external physical keyboard attached, Typing Musou can be played. See Can You Practice Typing on an iPad or Phone? for how to connect and what to watch for.

• Chromebook

  Preparing a school Chromebook is covered in Preparing Chromebooks and School PCs.

• Phones

  Typing Musou's game screens do not open on a phone. The official site and the learning guides can be read on a phone.

• Small keyboards made for children

  No official standard or comparative study on keyboard size for children was found. Choose by whether the fingers reach the keys, whether the shoulders and wrists are comfortable, and whether your child finds it easy to type on.

No official recommended practice time was found. What can be said officially concerns care for the eyes and body. The table lists values from MEXT's guidebook, 'Guidebook for Using ICT with Attention to Children's Health' (revised March 2022).

For home study, the guidebook also gives examples of how to plan: not studying for long stretches without a break, and not studying right before sleep.

A Typing Musou battle lasts 180 seconds at most, and a Speed Trial lasts 60 seconds, so it is easy to fit a break every 30 minutes. There is no official figure for session length. The operator suggests that a beginner stop after a few battles or stages, at the point where they still want a little more.

How much and how long to practise is in How Much Daily Typing Practice Do You Need?; posture (desk and chair height, wrists, elbows) is in Typing Posture and Wrist Position; tiredness and pain are in When Typing Tires or Hurts Your Wrists and Arms. If eye strain or pain continues, see a doctor such as an eye doctor or pediatrician.

No study comparing ways of encouraging children, and no official standard, was found. What is known is school examples. A MEXT GIGA StuDX team study-session document (March 4, 2026) introduces the following.

• Setting aside time for practice

  Examples of schools that set aside time specifically for typing practice.

• Starting with short words

  Examples of getting used to typing with short words, such as a name or a one-line greeting.

• Keeping records to see growth

  Examples where practice results are recorded so children can see their progress.

• Competitions and displays to raise motivation

  Examples of holding contests, and of posting the names of students who reach their goals.

All of these are examples, not results from a study that compared effects. At home, two are easy to use: start with short words, and keep records.

The table below is the operator's own thinking. No study comparing effects was found. If it does not suit your child, change it.

Keeping records also appears among the school examples. Using scores and speed to compare with the child's own last result, not as a reason to scold, makes it easier to give feedback. At first, typing alongside your child lets you see what they find hard.

Please do not use official averages to judge your child. Figures such as the grade 5 average are in When Should Kids Start Typing?. Their unit differs, so they cannot be compared with Typing Musou records.

Typing Musou uses romaji input only. Kana input is not available. The romaji is shown under each prompt.

At school, romaji is read and written in grade 3 Japanese class. A child who has not learned it yet would be following the romaji on screen as a shape. Whether it is enjoyable depends on the child. You do not have to push; starting in earnest after romaji is taught is also a choice.

The official romaji spelling guideline was renewed by a Cabinet notice in 2025 (No. 4). The Agency for Cultural Affairs' Q&A (Q52) says it has no effect on how text is entered on devices and does not ask for any change in romaji input. Typing Musou accepts both si and shi. In the 'romaji style' setting you can choose which spelling is displayed: recommended, Hepburn or Kunrei. See Hepburn vs. Kunrei for Typing and Romaji Input Chart.

Asking the teacher before starting at home helps avoid overlap or conflicting advice.

1. 01.Ask whether the school device has a keyboard and whether it is allowed to go home.
2. 02.Ask whether the school sets aside time for typing or uses a particular practice site. A MEXT meeting document says that building information skills varies a lot between schools.
3. 03.Ask whether practising at home is welcome, and how much the school expects families to do.

From the operator's side, here is what parents may want to know. This describes how the game works; it is not a guarantee of safety.

• Price, sign-up and ads

  It is free, and every feature works as a guest without signing up. A guest's records are tied to that browser. Signing in with a Google account is needed only to continue on another device. No ads are shown. At present nothing can be bought with real money (Terms of Service).

• Children under 13

  The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy ask that children under 13 use the game with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

• Who you meet in battles

  The dojo (practice) can be played alone. There are two kinds of battle. Friend Battle (private battle) is played with people you give the room code to, or with friends you invite. Random Battle automatically pairs players from around the world, and when no opponent is found, a CPU built from real players' results takes the place. There is no chat or voice feature.

• Usernames and friends

  Usernames are reviewed by AI after submission. The friends feature unlocks after five Random Battles in total. Who can send requests can be changed in settings (anyone / only people who know your code / nobody).

Steps for playing with family or friends are in How to Play Typing Battles with Friends.

• Q. From what age can a child start at home?

  There is no nationally set starting grade. Taking grade 3, when romaji is taught, as a milestone, or treating the lower grades as a stage of getting used to the keyboard without pressure on speed, is covered in When Should Kids Start Typing?.

• Q. Can we practise on a tablet alone?

  Typing Musou cannot be played with an on-screen keyboard. With an external physical keyboard attached, it can.

• Q. How many minutes per session?

  No official recommended time was found. MEXT's guidebook guidance is to look away into the distance for 20 seconds or more at least once every 30 minutes, and to avoid devices in the hour before bed. The operator suggests that beginners finish while they still want a little more.

• Q. What if my child doesn't want to practise?

  It is fine to stop for the day. Review whether sessions are too long, too hard, or involve being scolded over numbers. Typing alongside your child is one option. All of this is the operator's suggestion; no study comparing effects was found.

• Q. Will my child meet strangers in online battles?

  The dojo is played alone. In a Friend Battle you play with people you gave the room code to, or with friends you invited. Random Battle pairs players from around the world, or a CPU when no opponent is found. There is no chat or voice feature.

• Q. Will Typing Musou open on a school device?

  It depends on the school's settings. If it does not open, ask the teacher. Preparation for Chromebooks is in Preparing Chromebooks and School PCs.

The official figures and wording in this article were checked against the documents below (checked October 18, 2026). The documents are in Japanese. Page numbers are PDF page numbers.

1. MEXT, Guidebook for Using ICT with Attention to Children's Health (revised March 2022) — p.10, p.11, p.14, p.16 (distance, breaks, before bed, posture, use at home)
2. MEXT, GIGA School: Minimum Specifications for Learner Computers (April 17, 2024) — 2.5 Peripherals (p.8): keyboards are required
3. MEXT GIGA StuDX team study session, 'Typing instruction we want to know about' (March 4, 2026) — School examples (p.7–15)
4. Special Committee on Curriculum Planning (May 12, 2025), Document 1-1, point paper 6 — 'The training system from elementary to high school is unclear' (p.25)
5. Agency for Cultural Affairs, Q&A on the romaji spelling guideline (Cabinet Notice No. 4, 2025) — Q52, input on devices (p.22)
6. Apple, iPad User Guide: Connect iPad to Bluetooth accessories — States that you can connect iPad to Bluetooth accessories, including keyboards

Preparing to start at home comes down to three things: a device with a physical keyboard, rules for eyes and time, and what you say. For eyes and time, follow MEXT's guidebook values (at least 30 cm, a 20-second look into the distance every 30 minutes, no devices in the hour before bed).

There is no official 'right' way to encourage a child. Avoid scolding over numbers, compare with the child's own last result, and put what went well into words. That is the operator's suggestion; change it if it does not suit your child.