Hepburn Romaji Deemed Standard for Japanese Words, Names; Change from Kunrei Style to Be Implemented in Fiscal 2026

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:52 JST, December 23, 2025

The government has decided to make the Hepburn style of romaji, or romanized Japanese, the official standard for the nation, instead of the kunrei style now in use.

The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on Dec. 16. This is the first time in 71 years for the government to change the standard style of romaji — the current style of romaji writing is based on a Cabinet announcement made in 1954.

The Hepburn style is widely used and accepted in society, a fact that prompted the latest Cabinet decision. The kunrei style of romaji is currently taught at elementary schools, but this will be changed to the Hepburn style from fiscal 2026.

In the kunrei style, each of the five Japanese vowels is preceded by a fixed consonant. “Si” and “zi” in the kunrei style are written “shi” and “ji” in the Hepburn style, which are closer to the English pronunciations.

“Susi” in the kunrei style will be spelled “sushi” after the change, for example, and “emozi” will be “emoji.”

The change will not immediately affect the spellings of specialist terms in science and the arts; proper nouns for the names of individuals and groups; and words in past documents and works of literature. The same applies to widely recognized Japanese words and names such as “matcha” and “Tokyo.”