Use a JIS Keyboard on a US-Configured Windows PC – JPkey2US

Overview

JPkey2US handles the inverse layout mismatch from USkey2JP. It lets you use a physical Japanese JIS keyboard while Windows remains configured for a US keyboard, remapping the relevant input while the utility is running.

One common use case is a Japanese speaker at an international company who works on a US-configured PC but prefers a familiar external JIS keyboard.

Download

Download the latest release from GitHub

If the PC is managed by your employer or another organization, follow your organization's software policies before downloading or running the utility.

System requirements

  • Tested on Windows 11. Windows 10 has not been tested.
  • The executable is built for 64-bit CPUs and does not run on 32-bit CPUs.

How to use JPkey2US

  1. Open the latest GitHub release and download the appropriate Windows asset. Extract it first if it is packaged as a ZIP file.
  2. Place jpkey2us.exe in a folder and run it. No installer is required.
  3. Click the system-tray icon to turn JIS-layout emulation on or off.
  4. If you want the utility to start with Windows, create a shortcut in the Windows Startup folder or configure another preferred startup method.

Features

  • Runs without changing the registry or installing a custom driver.
  • Switches emulation on and off from the system tray without restarting Windows.
  • Can be removed by closing the utility and deleting the files you placed on the PC.

Limitations and troubleshooting

Keyboard emulation is not active on the Windows sign-in screen. If your password contains symbols, check the actual JIS and US key positions carefully. Except for ! # $ % , . / < > ?, symbol positions differ between the two layouts.

Because JPkey2US detects and remaps keyboard input, Windows SmartScreen or other security software may display a warning. If SmartScreen shows “Windows protected your PC,” confirm that the file came from the official GitHub release, then select “More info” and “Run anyway” only if your security policy permits it. Each release is submitted to Microsoft for review, but detection updates can take time.

ESET Internet Security's keyboard-protection feature has been reported to insert unexpected characters during typing. See the Japanese-language troubleshooting guide for USkey2JP and JPkey2US.

Development background

JPkey2US was created after a request for the reverse of USkey2JP. Supporting keys that exist on a JIS keyboard but not on a US keyboard required additional conversion handling.

Release history

See all versions and release notes on the Release history page.

License and acknowledgements

See the repository License for license terms and disclaimers.

We thank the developers and contributors of ULE4JIS and Freewheeler for the inspiration behind this utility.