Type Japanese below and copy Japanese in cursive in elegant, bold, or decorative form. The guide beneath the tool covers the eight-letter word, then explains the three scripts of Japanese calligraphy and the surprising fact that one of Japan's two syllabaries is itself a cursive script.
How to Write Japanese in Cursive
Japanese starts with a capital J: begin at the baseline, rise into a tall loop, drop below the baseline into a second loop, and return to join the a. Match the depth of that lower loop to the p that comes two letters later.
The a is a closed oval, and the p rises to the midline, drops below the baseline, and returns with a small bowl. Then comes another a, the same size as the first, and a two-hump n.
Finish with e-s-e: a small loop, a short pointed s, and another small loop. The two e's should match, as should the two a's earlier. Japanese has two descenders near the start, the J and the p, and none afterwards, so the second half of the word runs flat.
Sōsho, Gyōsho, and the Cursive Origins of Hiragana
Japanese calligraphy recognises three ways of writing a kanji: kaisho (楷書), the regular block form; gyōsho (行書), the semi-cursive running form in which strokes begin to flow together; and sōsho (草書), the fully cursive "grass script", where a character may collapse into a few sweeping strokes that only a trained reader can identify. Sōsho is the Japanese cursive in the truest sense.
It also produced something remarkable: hiragana. In the Heian period, kanji used purely for their sounds were written so fluidly in sōsho that the simplified shapes became a separate script. The hiragana あ is a cursive 安, い is a cursive 以, and う is a cursive 宇. So every Japanese child learning hiragana is learning what began as cursive handwriting. Everyday Japanese handwriting today, however, does not join characters. Latin cursive has its own name, hikkitai (筆記体), and it is what the generator on this page produces; Japanese characters typed into the tool pass through unchanged because the Unicode script alphabets cover only A–Z.
Where Japanese in Cursive Is Used
Japanese in cursive appears on Japanese-class project covers, anime and manga fan bios, ramen, sushi, and izakaya menus, language-exchange flyers, JLPT study journals, and bios of Japanese tutors and translators. Romanised companion words such as Arigatou, Konnichiwa, and Kawaii convert fully.
Eight letters with two early descenders is a slightly heavy shape, so the elegant script at large sizes is the best-looking option. Bold cursive suits small bios. The decorative style does not match Japanese themes.
Japanese cursive phrase ideas
- Japanese Language
- Learn Japanese
- Arigatou
- Konnichiwa
- Kawaii
Japanese in Cursive FAQ
What is sōsho?
The fully cursive grass script of Japanese calligraphy, in which a kanji may be reduced to a few sweeping strokes. It sits alongside kaisho, the regular form, and gyōsho, the semi-cursive running form.
Is hiragana a cursive script?
In origin, yes. Hiragana developed in the Heian period from kanji written so fluidly in sōsho that the simplified shapes became a separate syllabary. あ is a cursive 安, and い is a cursive 以.
What does hikkitai mean?
It is the Japanese word for Latin cursive handwriting, the joined script taught in English-language schools. It is what the generator on this page produces.
Will Japanese characters convert in the generator?
No. Kanji, hiragana, and katakana pass through unchanged because the Unicode script alphabets cover only A to Z. Romanised words such as Arigatou convert fully.
Explore More Languages and Nations
The country name is covered on the Japan in cursive page. Sōsho descends from the Chinese cǎoshū described on the Chinese in cursive page, and Korea's approach is on Korean in cursive. Browse everything on the Nation in Cursive hub.