Romanization

We use the Hepburn System of romanization with macrons. Hepburn is the most widely used and accepted form of romaji.

N vs M

In most cases with ん we romanize to n, not m.

• ⭕ senpai ❌ sempai
• ⭕ konbini ❌ kombini
• ⭕ Nihonbashi ❌ Nihombashi

However, there are exceptions with words that have been popularized with the alternative spelling:

• ⭕ tempura ❌ tenpura
• ⭕ Asahi Shimbun ❌ Asahi Shinbun

Macrons (ā, ī, ū, ē, ō)

Macrons are the diacritical marks above letters. In Japanese, we’ll be encountering ō most often. Here are some basic macron guidelines:

Use the macron when the word is popularly stylized that way.

• ⭕ yōkai ❌ youkai ❌ yokai
• ⭕ Matsuo Bashō ❌ Matsuo Basho

Do not use the macron for words already common in English.