you are not seeing an extraterrestrial language. It is Japanese text, but your computer is not configured to display it.

One way to display Japanese text is to use the Japanese version of your operating system (Mac OS or Windows). For most people living outside of Japan this is not the best way to go, however. Imagine, if you live in Jolliet IL, USA, Hobart, Australia, Freising, Germany, or Chicoutimi, QC, Canada, what it would be like if you take your computer to be serviced, and the technician tries to test it with all those menus in Japanese... Or if someone else shares the computer with you and does not understand Japanese.

It would also be quite expensive to order a copy of the Japanese version for delivery outside of Japan

Here's what you need to do to get your computer to display Japanese text, and still enjoy using your own countiy's version of the operating system:

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If you are using a Macintosh computer, it is quite easy to display Japanese. If you have Mac OS 9, you can install Japanese language support directly from the Mac OS 9 CD-ROM. Follow the installation instructions provided with the CD-ROM.

If your Mac cannot support Mac OS 9, or you do not wish to upgrade, you can then install the Japanese Language Kit, which can be purchased from Apple, or from an official vendor of Apple products. The Language kit comes on a CD-ROM, and is extremely easy to install,

Once you have the Japanese language support software installed (Mac OS 9 or Japanese Language Kit), you can then surf Japanese Web sites, write Japanese e-mail, run native Japanese versions of software, and even enter Japanese text in your native language software.

For Net surfing, you simply select the Japanese font (there are 4 Japanese fonts provided by Apple), and select View Japanese in your browser's text viewing options.

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For Windows users, the easienst solution is to use MS Internet Explorer, version 5. If you go to the following web site: http://www.sakura.ch/ja/viewingjapanese-j.htm

you will find clear directions on how to view Japanese web sites.Another solution is to purchase commercial software, which will permit you to use Japanese in much the same way as Apple's Japanese Language Kit for Macs.Information is available at this site: http://www.cortext.demon.co.uk/software.htm

There is one way to view Japanese web sites without adding anything to your computer. This method works for Macintosh and Windows computers. The following is a web site which will access the Japanese site you choose, and then display it for you in graphical form in your browser's window. Note that this method will slow down your surfing considerably.




This page was written by Jeff Brower