Everything you need to know about Japanese punctuation

For learners of Japanese, mastering punctuation is a key step toward literacy and natural expression. While traditional Japanese writing historically used very little punctuation, modern Japanese has adopted a comprehensive system that blends native marks with Western imports. This guide will provide a thorough overview of Japanese punctuation, complete with examples.

A key concept to remember is that most Japanese punctuation marks are designed to occupy a full-width character space, just like a kanji or kana character. This gives Japanese text a distinct, uniform appearance.

1. Sentence Enders: Stopping the Flow

These marks signal the end of a complete thought.

The Period or Full Stop: 句点 (くてん – Kuten) 「。」

The kuten is a small circle that functions as a full stop. It marks the end of a declarative sentence. In vertical writing, it is placed to the bottom right of the last character.

今日は良い天気です。
きょうはよいてんきです。
Kyō wa yoi tenki desu.
The weather is good today.

今日 (きょう) = Today
良い (よい)      = Good
天気 (てんき) = Weather

The Question Mark: 疑問符 (ぎもんふ – Gimonfu) 「？」

The question mark is a direct import from Western punctuation. It is used to explicitly mark a question and conveys an inquisitive tone. In formal or traditional writing, a question might simply end with a kuten (。) because the grammatical structure (e.g., the particle か) already indicates it’s a question. The use of a question mark is therefore often seen as slightly more informal.

お名前は何ですか。
おなまえはなんですか。
O-namae wa nan desu ka.
What is your name? (Formal, often ends with 。)

もう食べた？
もうたべた？
Mō tabeta?
Did you eat already? (Informal, often ends with ？)

2. Pauses and Separators

These marks create pauses within sentences or separate elements in a list.

The Comma: 読点 (とうてん – Tōten) 「、」

The tōten is the Japanese comma. Its usage is often more flexible and stylistic than the English comma. It is used to break up long sentences, separate clauses, and set off parts of a sentence to avoid grammatical ambiguity.

朝、公園を散歩して、それから朝ご飯を食べます。
あさ、こうえんをさんぽして、それからあさごはんをたべます。
Asa, kōen o sanpo shite, sorekara asagohan o tabemasu.
In the morning, I take a walk in the park, and then I eat breakfast.

朝          (あさ)            = Morning
公園       (こうえん)      = Park
散歩して (さんぽして)   = take a walk (and…)
それから                      = And then

The Interpunct / Middle Dot: 中黒 (なかぐろ – Nakaguro) 「・」

The nakaguro is a dot used for several specific purposes where a comma would be inappropriate. Its most common uses are separating foreign words written in katakana and listing items in a title or short list.

ビル・ゲイツは有名です。
ビル・ゲイツはゆうめいです。
Biru Geitsu wa yūmei desu.
Bill Gates is famous.

小・中学校の教科書
しょう・ちゅうがっこうのきょうかしょ
Shō-chūgakkō no kyōkasho
Elementary and middle school textbooks

3. Brackets and Quotation Marks

Japanese uses a variety of brackets, each with a distinct function.

Corner Brackets: 鉤括弧 (かぎかっこ – Kagikakko) 「」

These are the standard quotation marks for dialogue, titles of smaller works (like articles or chapters), and for emphasizing words.

彼女は「また明日」と言った。
かのじょは「またあした」といった。
Kanojo wa “mata ashita” to itta.
She said, “See you tomorrow.”

Double Corner Brackets: 二重鉤括弧 (にじゅうかぎかっこ – Nijū Kagikakko) 『』

Used for quotes within quotes. Culturally, they are also often used for the titles of major, standalone works like books, movies, and albums, lending them more importance than single brackets.

彼は「夏目漱石の『こころ』は名作だ」と力説した。
かれは「なつめそうせきの『こころ』はめいさくだ」とりきせつした。
Kare wa “Natsume Sōseki no ‘Kokoro’ wa meisaku da” to rikisetsu shita.
He emphasized, “Natsume Sōseki’s ‘Kokoro’ is a masterpiece.”

Lenticular Brackets: 隅付き括弧 (すみつきかっこ – Sumitsukikakko) 【】

These thick brackets are not for dialogue. They are used for emphasis in headings, titles, and dictionary entries to make a word or category stand out visually.

メールの件名：【重要】会議の時間変更のお知らせ
メールのけんめい：【じゅうよう】かいぎのじかんへんこうのおしらせ
Mēru no kenmei: [Jūyō] Kaigi no jikan henkō no oshirase
Email Subject: [Important] Notice of Meeting Time Change

4. Expressive and Stylistic Marks

The Wave Dash: 波ダッシュ (なみダッシュ – Nami Dasshu) 「〜」

The wave dash is a highly versatile mark. Formally, it indicates a range (from… to…). Informally, it’s used to draw out vowel sounds, creating a softer, friendlier, or more playful tone in casual text messages and social media.

東京〜大阪 (Range)
とうきょう〜おおさか
Tōkyō–Ōsaka
Tokyo to Osaka

またね〜 (Elongated sound)
Matane〜
See you later〜 (sounds friendly and relaxed)

The Ellipsis: 三点リーダー (さんてんリーダー – Santen Rīdā) 「…」

The ellipsis indicates a pause, an omission, or a thought trailing off into silence. In Japanese typesetting, it’s very common to use two ellipsis marks together for a longer pause (……).

彼は何かを言おうとしたが、結局は黙ってしまった…。
かれはなにかをいおうとしたが、けっきょくはだまってしまった…。
Kare wa nanika o iō to shita ga, kekkyoku wa damatte shimatta…
He tried to say something, but in the end, he just fell silent…

Summary Table of Japanese Punctuation