Romaji

 

The "Romaji" character system is the romanization of Japanese characters. Though not used commonly in writing, it is useful for entering data in to non-Japanese capable data processing systems, such as a computer or cell phone. Often, many IME programs will automatically translate Romaji to either Hiragana, Katakana, or Kanji as required

Romaji is a useful tool for those learning Japanese as it does not require memorizing any of the Japanese syllabrary. However, reliance on Romaji is a major hinderance to the learning process as well as other proper systems will be nelgected. So it is important learn how, and when, to use Romaji - but it should not be a primary means to communicating.

Example

English: bath

Romaji: o-furo

Hiragana: おふろ