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This page describes conventions for writing and editing articles related toJapan.
For more general guidance on editing conventions, seeWikipedia:Manual of Style. For questions specifically related to Japan, please follow the conventions described below.
TheEnglish Wikipedia is anEnglish-language encyclopedia. If an Englishloan word orplace name of Japanese origin exists, it should be used in its most common English form in the body of an article, even if it is pronounced or spelled differently from the properlyromanizedJapanese; that is, useMount Fuji,Tokyo,jujutsu, andshogi, instead ofFuji-san,Tōkyō,jūjutsu, andshōgi. However, in such cases, the romanized Japanese form of an article title should always be listed in the opening paragraph.
SomeJapanese loan words are usually pluralized according to English grammar rules, although this usage may sound odd to Japanese speakers. A few examples aretsunami,tycoon, andfuton, which take the plurals tsunamis, tycoons, and futons. In the case of more specialized Japanese words such askoi,haiku,ronin, ordojo, English-language speakers are often familiar with Japanese word usage, and the words usually lack distinct plural forms. For a few words, such asgeisha andkamikaze, both forms of pluralization are acceptable. When in doubt, it is probably best to use a dictionary for reference. Helpful tools include theMerriam–Webster website forAmerican-English usage and theCambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary forBritish-English usage.
Titles of songs, and the names of bands, companies and so forth are often capitalized when written in Roman script within a Japanese-language context or (in flyers, posters, etc.) for a Japanese audience, and the relevant publicity departments or fanbases may vehemently insist on the importance of the capitalization. However, these names and name elements are not excluded from the guidance provided by the main manuals of style for English-language Wikipedia, listed above. Words should not be written in all caps in the English Wikipedia. For example, although the title of the mangaBleach is always written as "BLEACH" in Japanese (e.g. inits article within Japanese-language Wikipedia), it should be written asBleach within the English-language Wikipedia.
Generally, Japanese script for a word can be added to the text the first time it is introduced, provided that the word is not linked to another article on the English Wikipedia. If the word is linked to another article on the English Wikipedia, and the linked article does not include the Japanese script, the linked article should be edited to show the Japanese script in the opening line.
If the linked article does include the Japanese script, Japanese characters are unnecessary in the original article, unless they appear in the context of a list or glossary, such asGlossary of sumo terms, orTōkaidō Main Line#Station list. In those cases, having several Japanese words appear together in context may be beneficial to some readers, and the script should not be deleted.
Japanese script should only be added once per word in an article, and can be marked with the{{Nihongo}} or{{Nihongo2}} templates.
Articles should be linked to their corresponding Japanese Wikipedia articles throughWikidata, which is displayed in the "Languages" bar to the left of the article. There is generally no need to use inline links to the equivalent Japanese Wikipedia article for any words in an article. If a word is important enough to warrant a link, it will more than likely have an English Wikipedia article. However, interwiki linking may be used to supplementred links. SeeHelp:Interlanguage links § Inline links for more information on how to do this.
Modified Hepburn romanization (as described below) should be used in all cases, excepting those cases where another romanization is determined to be in common usage in reliable sources (seenext section). Wikipedia uses the version of Modified Hepburn described below because it is generally accepted by scholars and it gives a fair indication of Japanese pronunciation to the intended audience of English speakers. People who care about other romanization systems are knowledgeable enough to look after themselves.
It is generally helpful to include the Hepburn romanization of Japanese text on the English Wikipedia. However, some WikiProjects may have more specific guidelines concerning the usage of the romanization on articles in their subject area. Please defer to those guidelines when composing articles in that subject area.
Japanese terms should be romanized according to common usage in English-languagereliable sources as indicated bypolicy, including unconventional romanization of titles and names by licensees (e.g.,Devil Hunter Yohko andTenjho Tenge—seebelow), words used frequently in English (such assumo orjudo), the official English name for companies and organizations (e.g.,Kodansha rather thanKōdansha,Doshisha University rather thanDōshisha University), or location names (e.g., Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido,Ryukyu Islands,Bonin Islands, andIwo Jima). The list of examples given here is not exhaustive. Redirects for all likely romanizations should be created to make sure people will be able to find the articles easily regardless of which form they use in their search.
To determine if the non-macroned form is in common usage in English-language reliable sources, a review should be done of all the related reliable sources used for the article (as well as any which may not have been specifically used, but can still be considered reliable perWP:RS). This may be redetermined periodically (generally no more often than semiannually) as usage changes over time and as new additional reliable sources become available. If it cannot be determined whether the non-macroned form is in common usage in English-language reliable sources, then the macroned form should be used until such time as it can be determined.
If an article uses English-language reliable sources and those sources use a particular form of romanization to name a topic, give preference to that romanization in the article title and body text. If an article uses only Japanese-language reliable sources, use the romanization given in them. If no romanization is given by the reliable sources used in an article, use modified Hepburn romanization. In all cases, the same romanization should be used for the article title and the body text (within that article and within the body text of other articles).
Please note that scholarly reliable sources (e.g., encyclopedias, academic journals, documentaries, and textbooks) and mainstream media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and television reports) reliable sources are equally acceptable, and neither should be considered more valid than the other. However, more recent reliable sources should generally be given preference over older reliable sources, especially in topics and areas where current understanding may be more complete than older understanding (e.g., in science and technology).
These guidelines apply to all romanized Japanese text, article titles, and to all subsections of this manual of style (MOS-JA). Please also note the additional information regardingarticle titles, below.
In previous forms of the Hepburn romanization, the syllabicn (ん) was transcribed asm when beforeb,m, orp sounds. This form has been deprecated, but remains in use in some officialanglicized names. On the English Wikipedia, always follow the modified Hepburn style of usingn in these situations. If thecommon name uses them variant, use that as the article title but use then form in the romanization.
When writing words that appear in classical Japanese texts, romanize the modern pronunciation of these words, rather than directly transcribing the kana.
When romanizing words inOld Japanese, English-language reliable sources such asDon Philippi's translation of theKojiki and various writings byRoy Andrew Miller occasionally use non-standard orthography to mark Old Japanese vowels and other features that changed in later periods of the language. It is acceptable—even preferable—toinclude this notation in the relevant articles, but in general use Hepburn romanization of themodern pronunciations. This has the advantage of standardization (there is no universally agreed upon romanization method for the historical reconstructions of Old Japanese) and of general readability/familiarity for readers with some knowledge of modern Japanese.
When selecting the appropriate name for an article, be aware of the following:
Please note that thenaming conventions policy andthis guideline are applicable here.
When determining the title of an article about a topic (i.e., a book, an award, etc.) which includes the proper name of an individual, do not rearrange the name of the individual within the title. For example, theIna Nobuo Award should not be changed toNobuo Ina Award even thoughNobuo Ina [ja] is a modern figure as defined here. A redirect with the name rearranged should always be created to avoid any possible confusion (i.e., create a redirect fromNobuo Ina Award pointing toIna Nobuo Award).
In accordance with thecategorization policy, articles with macroned titles should use the non-macroned version of the title in category sorting. TheDEFAULTSORT magic word should be placed directly above the category list:
This will put the page in the correct order in every category of which it is a member. For articles about people, use a comma after the family name to ensure correct sorting with all names across Wikipedia. On the talk page, use the|listas= parameter in the project banner tag to make sure the page is sorted properly.
Lists of romanized words in the English Wikipedia should be ordered in alphabetical order, A–Z, instead of the common Japanese ordering system which is based on the kana characters. In the case of names, alphabetize by family name, not by given name. Words with macrons should be alphabetized as if the macron was one of the normal five vowels. In cases where two words are exactly the same except for a macron vowel in one word, the non-macron version should be listed first.
This rule also applies to lists of prefectures or other place names, and is in contrast to the Japanese standard of ordering from north to south. Exceptions to this rule can be made when the geographic location or arrangement is important to the overall context of the article, such as in the articlePrefectures of Japan. Articles which fall under this exception should always explain the non-alphabetic sort order used within the article.
For words ending in絵 (e), place a hyphen directly before the "e" in the romanized word (e.g.,yamato-e,ukiyo-e). Do not use a hyphen for words ending with画 (ga) (e.g.,manga,nanga). Do not use a hyphen for words beginning with絵 or画 (e.g.emakimono rather than "e-makimono").
TheAinu language and theRyukyuan languages family are often transcribed in Japanese using one or more of the Japanese writing systems (usuallykatakana).
The Ainu language has its own Latin orthography (described atAinu language), and that form should be used in articles, accompanied by the Japanese katakana approximations, unless a more common name is found in reliable sources.
The varied Ryukyuan languages have no standard romanization schema. For terms in these languages, use the most commonly used form found in reliable sources, and accompany this with the Japanese approximations.
Full-width forms of Roman letters (Ａ-Ｚ, ａ-ｚ), Arabic numerals (０-９), certain punctuation (＂＃＄％＆＇＋／＠＼＾＿｀￠￥￦＝｜￤) and spaces ( ) should not be used; ASCII equivalents should be used instead, even when mixed with CJK characters.
Give the romanization for any Japanese name or term written inkanji orkana by following the pattern:
Then, you can use the English term in the rest of the article. For example:
There is the template{{Nihongo}} to help standardize the entries for Japanese terms.
Usage example:
appears as
The first entry appears before the brackets, the second is the Japanese term in kanji and kana, the last is the reading in revisedHepburn romanization described here.
An option exists for{{Nihongo}} to include links toJapanese language andHepburn romanization by utilizinglead=yes, but it is not obligatory.
appears as
Omitting the first parameter of{{Nihongo}} places the entry in the third parameter first.
appears as
Other similar templates exist for displaying Japanese text and terms.
{{lang|ja}} can be used; this ensures that the text is encoded as Japanese within HTML foraccessibility purposes.The template{{IPA|ja|...}} may be used to format Japanese inIPA transcription; it links the transcription toHelp:IPA/Japanese.
Do not use the<ruby> tag to further annotate the kanji withruby characters, except in articles about ruby characters themselves, or where they are needed to accurately quote something that includes ruby characters.
This section defines the proper way to write Japanese names on the English Wikipedia. If you are unsure of how to write a name after reading the information below, please post your question on theTalk page. Please note thatin all cases, one or more redirects should be created for any commonly used Romanizations other than those indicated here to cover alternative usages. Redirects for the opposite naming orders noted below should also be employed. That is, if an article is titled "given name + family name", a redirect from "family name + given name" is required; and vice versa.
For example:
In all cases, the spelling and name order used (for the title, and within the article body) should be that most commonly used in reliable, third-party English-language sources (encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, academic books, academic journals, etc.) perWP:TITLE. If no one form can be determined to be the most common, follow the guidance given below.
For historical figures (generally considered to be pre-Meiji), if no "most commonly used name" can be established, use the following as guidelines:
For figures conventionally referred to in scholarly literature by their given names, refer to them by their given names, not their family names, within the article body. This is particularly important for members of large clans like theFujiwara andMinamoto: do not refer toFujiwara no Teika as "Fujiwara", but as "Teika". This also applies to the given names or pen names of certain early modern figures as well, such asNatsume Sōseki andMasaoka Shiki. This is an exception toMOS:FAMILYNAME.
For modern figures, if no "most commonly used name" can be established, use the following as a guideline:
In the case of an actor, athlete, author, artist or other individual who is more well known under apseudonym (including anart orstage name,nom de plume, or similar pseudonymic title, including if the pseudonym is infamily name +given name format), whether hereditary or not, use the pseudonym as the article title, and note the additional names they may use (e.g., birth name, other pseudonyms), following the standards above.
Except for EmperorHirohito, all deceased Japanese emperors, including emperors from both the northern and southern courts during theNanboku-chō period, should use the form "Emperor {name}", which is a partial translation of theirposthumous name. Living emperors should use the form "Emperor {name}" where "{name}" is their given birth name. The wordEmperor is an integral part of the name and not merely a title, so it should be capitalized and the articlethe should not appear before it. It is also acceptable to refer to a Japanese emperor without "Emperor", so long as the first appearance of the name uses the above format. Be sure to create appropriate redirects so that the version of the name without the title will bring the reader to the correct location.
Although posthumously named Emperor Shōwa, Hirohito can be called Emperor Hirohito (or simply Hirohito), as this continues to be the most widely known name for him in English. In a similar manner, the current Emperor may be referred to as EmperorNaruhito, or just Naruhito. It is incorrect to refer to him as Emperor Reiwa, as he will not be renamed Reiwa until after his death. His predecessor,Akihito, who abdicated the throne but is still alive, has the official title of Emperor Emeritus, and will also not be renamed Heisei until after his death.
When disambiguation is required:
In article titles, however, do not include the ", Japan" part, and even the prefecture can be dropped for world-famous cities familiar to most Westerners, such asHiroshima orKobe. Please help ensure that redirects likeTaiki, Mie Prefecture,Taiki, Mie, Japan, andTaiki, Mie Prefecture, Japan all exist, so that various attempts to links to places in the prose do not fail (or cause people to create accidentalduplicate articles).
Suffixes such as "City", "Town", "Village", and "Island" are generally superfluous in English and should be avoided; many of them would constitute made-up "names" that are not actually found with any regularity in reliable sources. An exception is when differentiating between two municipalities of the same name (i.e. if a town is "promoted" to a city of the same name), or between a prefecture and city of the same name (e.g.Saga Prefecture andSaga (city)). Even in that case, though, "city of {name}" (lowercase) is preferred. When referring to the city government, use "City of {name}" (uppercase).
A notable exception isTokyo City, a historical city that existed in what is now Tokyo, to avoid possible confusion.
When suffixes are appropriate, capitalize them. For example,Tochigi Prefecture;Kashima District, Ibaraki;Ise Province;Himeji Castle;Tokyo Station;Satsuma Domain.
Islands should be namedX Island(s) if common usage does not require appending-shima/jima/tō (島):Okinawa Island,Rebun Island,Ōnohara Islands. However, use the Japanese name complete with-shima/jima if the suffix forms an inseparable part of the name:Ōshima,Miyajima,Sakurajima. Do not use hyphens or spaces to separate particles or suffixes:Tokunoshima,Okinotorishima,Chiringashima. Notable exception:Iwo Jima, which has a well-established spelling in English.
Use the Japanese name and insert a hyphen beforebō (坊),dō (堂),in (院),ji (寺),gū (宮),sha (社),taisha (大社), andtera/dera (寺).However, write the English word "Shrine" in place ofjinja (神社),jingū (神宮), andmyōjin (明神). Additionally, if any of the above appearas part of an indivisible word (such asHachimangū,Suitengū,Tenmangū,Tōshōgū, etc.), do not hyphenate. This is the way these words are most commonly spelled in reliable and/or official sources. Use common name instead of formal name (Kinkaku-ji, notRokuon-ji;Yama-dera, notRisshaku-ji). All words are capitalized and place/personal names should be offset with a space. Use redirects liberally.
Do not add the word "Temple" into the title. Do not write English translations of names in article titles (where appropriate, they are welcome within the article, e.g. "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion"). Do not prefix-san names (山号) (e.g. do not write "Kinryūzan Sensōji"; simply write "Sensōji"), unless absolutely necessary to distinguish famous temples of the same name and provide ahatnote ordisambiguation page (for example,Hase-dera andHase-dera (Kamakura)).
Examples:
Japanese addresses should be written "Western style", where the order of specificity isspecific togeneral, e.g.:
For example,愛媛県西宇和郡伊方町湊浦123番地 should be:
This is the opposite of Japanese style. Other things to note:
Follow thegeneral guidelines (above) todetermine common usage. It is generally recommended to use the current English name that is used officially by the relevant party, as this will often be thecommon name used in English-language reliable sources.
The titles of Japanese books, CDs, and other media products may incorporate typographical effects, punctuation, or capitalization conventions generally not used in reliable native English language sources. In all cases, this original title stylization should be included in the lead of the article.
Avoid using all capital letters (except acronyms/initials), all lowercase letters (a technical restriction), or alternating upper and lower casing in article titles. For example, the Japanese Wikipedia has an article titled "LØVE". On the English Wikipedia, this article is found at "Love (Mika Nakashima album)". Likewise, the article located at "i spy i spy" at the Japanese Wikipedia is located at "I Spy I Spy" on the English Wikipedia.
Avoid using decorative or unusual punctuation mark conventions in article titles, particularly if they do not affect the overall pronunciation of the name. For example, the article on the song located at "CHE.R.RY" on the Japanese Wikipedia is located at "Cherry (Yui song)" here. "CHE.R.RY" and "Che.r.ry" are not suitable article titles, but are suitableredirects. Likewise, the song "m・a・z・e" is located at "Maze (Kumi Koda song)" rather than "m.a.z.e" or "m·a·z·e", and if there were an article on the television program located at "L×I×V×E" at the Japanese Wikipedia it would be at "Live (television series)" on the English Wikipedia.
Always capitalize every word in the romanization of the title of any Japanese media (albums, songs, TV episodes, films), except for any of thesentence particles, such aswa,to, andga.
In Japanese it is common to put straight dashes (-), swung dashes (〜), or tildes (~ or～) around media titles or subtitles; this is discouraged on the English Wikipedia. Instead, change these subtitles to how they would appear in the titles of media released in English-speaking countries: a single colon (:) for albums, films, television series, and books, and a set of parentheses (( and)) for songs, television episodes, and other media. For example, the album known as "BEST〜first things〜" on the Japanese Wikipedia is located here at "Best: First Things", and the song called "I miss you 〜時を越えて〜" is located here at "I Miss You (Toki o Koete)".
Since the conversion of the English Wikipedia to the use of theUTF-8character encoding, most characters used around the world can be used directly in Wikipedia articles. That includes Japanese.
Fonts for Japanese are standard for most modern operating systems. Nonetheless, some users may not have the fonts needed to displaykanji andkana, and many users will not know how to pronounce them. Therefore, Japanese characters should normally be accompanied by transliterations into the Latin alphabet (rōmaji) based onHepburn romanization.
Words spelled with theJapanese full stop (。) should not be spelled with the English period (.) in running text or titles.
