New here and needing a starting point

[Myst32]

I would show of and write all 46 hiragana (learned here by the way) but it's going to take to long finding all the characters on a western keyboard.

Most OS's are capable of installing an IME-writing system, in which you simply write out the syllables. So, you type t-s-u and get つ - tsu. That way you won't have to find any characters on your keyboard.

Best
くろくま
kurokuma

Yeah I got that set up.
I've actually been writing some of the characters with my mouse on the on screen keyboard when I had to write them on skype. but I'll find a chart over where the symbols are located and practise with that at some point.

[Myst32]

I would show of and write all 46 hiragana (learned here by the way) but it's going to take to long finding all the characters on a western keyboard.

Most OS's are capable of installing an IME-writing system, in which you simply write out the syllables. So, you type t-s-u and get つ - tsu. That way you won't have to find any characters on your keyboard.

Best
くろくま
kurokuma

Yeah I'm trying to get that to work, but I did find a page where you can write your hiragana and then just copy paste it.
はじみまして just like that, it'll do untill I get this set up right.

[community.japanese]

Myst32-san, くろくまsan,
thank you for your help, kurokuma-san
Myst32-san, there are virtual keyboards online, but if you want to "add Japanese" onto your own PC or keyboard,
it's also not difficult. Please feel free to ask us how to
Since we usually type with alphabets (like Kurokuma-san explained), we don't have to have hiragana on our
keyboard to type Japanese. Honestly, I don't know what those hiragana are doing on my keyboard...

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

[Myst32]

oh so there's two pages to this post now, It did feel like I had quoted kurokuma before.

And the keyboard thing is more just for getting used to reading hiragana and later katakana.

[community.japanese]

Myst-san,
oh I see
Well, hope your keyboard works conveniently for you.
For any questions, please feel free to ask

Natsuko (奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com