Use a US Keyboard on a JIS-Configured Windows PC – USkey2JP

Overview

When Windows is configured for a Japanese JIS keyboard, connecting a physical US (ANSI) keyboard can make symbols appear on different keys from the printed keycaps. USkey2JP remaps the relevant input while the utility is running, so you can use the external US keyboard without changing the Windows keyboard layout.

One common use case is an international employee in Japan who receives a JIS-configured company laptop but prefers to connect and use a familiar US keyboard.

The video demonstrates symbol-key emulation on the number row.

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 USkey2JP

  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 uskey2jp.exe in a folder and run it. No installer is required.
  3. Click the system-tray icon to turn US-layout emulation on or off.
  4. Right-click the tray icon to pause or resume the utility and open Settings.
  5. If you want the utility to start with Windows, create a shortcut in the Windows Startup folder or configure another preferred startup method.

Features and settings

  • Runs without changing the registry or installing a custom driver.
  • Switches emulation on and off from the system tray without restarting Windows.
  • Supports a configurable pause/resume hotkey and an initial running or paused state.
  • Can switch the IME by tapping assigned left and right Alt, Ctrl, or Shift keys.
  • Provides selectable rollover-protection timing to reduce accidental Alt, Ctrl, or Shift shortcuts immediately after IME switching.

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.

Input may not reach an application running with different privileges. Windows-reserved shortcuts such as Alt+Tab and Ctrl+Alt+Del are not fully controlled by the utility, and some IME states can affect symbol input.

Because USkey2JP 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.

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.

USkey2JP was inspired by ULE4JIS. We thank its developers and contributors; its conversion-map logic was an important reference.