sci.lang.japan FAQ / 1. Writing / 1.3. Other questions on writing / 1.3.4. What are the systems of romanization of Japanese?

1.3.4.1. What is Nippon-shiki romanization?

Nippon-shiki (日本式) is one of the systems of romanizing Japanese.

It was invented by physicist Aikitsu Tanakadate (田中館 愛橘) in 1885, and postdates the Hepburn system of romanization. Tanakadate's intention was to completely replace the traditional kanji and kana system of writing Japanese with a romanized system, which he felt would make it easier for Japanese people to compete with Western countries. Since the system was intended for Japanese people to use to write their own language, it is much more regular than Hepburn romanization, and, unlike Hepburn's system, it makes no effort to make itself easier to pronounce for English speakers.

Nippon-shiki was followed by another, similar system, Kunrei-shiki. The difference between Nippon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki is the difference between the kana syllabary and modern pronunciation. In modern standard Japanese, the sounds of the pairs di/zi ぢ/じ, du/zu づ/ず, dya/zya ぢゃ/じゃ, dyu/zyu ぢゅ/じゅ, dyo/zyo ぢょ/じょ, wi/i ゐ/い, we/e ゑ/え, kwa/ka くゎ/か, and gwa/ga ぐゎ/が have become identical. For example, the word kanadukai (かなづかい) is pronounced as kanazukai in modern Japanese.

Nippon-shiki is the most regular romanization systems, because it maintains a strict "one kana, two letters" form. Because it has unique forms corresponding to each of the respective pairs of ''kana'' homophones listed above, it is the only system of romanization that allows one to go back and forth between kana unambiguously.

Table

A I U E O Yōon
a i u e o
あ い う え お
kagyō ka ki ku ke ko kya kyu kyo
か き く け こ きゃ きゅ きょ
sagyō sa si su se so sya syu syo
さ し す せ そ しゃ しゅ しょ
tagyō ta ti tu te to tya tyu tyo
た ち つ て と ちゃ ちゅ ちょ
nagyō na ni nu ne no nya nyu nyo
な に ぬ ね の にゃ にゅ にょ
hagyō ha hi hu he ho hya hyu hyo
は ひ ふ へ ほ ひゃ ひゅ ひょ
magyō ma mi mu me mo mya myu myo
ま み む め も みゃ みゅ みょ
yagyō ya yu yo
や ゆ よ
ragyō ra ri ru re ro rya ryu ryo
ら り る れ ろ りゃ りゅ りょ
wagyō wa wi we wo
わ ゐ ゑ を
N n
ん
gagyō ga gi gu ge go gya gyu gyo
が ぎ ぐ げ ご ぎゃ ぎゅ ぎょ
zagyō za zi zu ze zo zya zyu zyo
ざ じ ず ぜ ぞ じゃ じゅ じょ
dagyō da di du de do dya dyu dyo
だ ぢ づ で ど ぢゃ ぢゅ ぢょ
bagyō ba bi bu be bo bya byu byo
ば び ぶ べ ぼ びゃ びゅ びょ
pagyō pa pi pu pe po pya pyu pyo
ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ ぴゃ ぴゅ ぴょ

References

  1. Jiten Nihon no moji (事典 日本の文字), p. 134
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