今晩は。
I have trouble reading kanji. I think every non-native Japanese speaker/reader does. I found a few useful tools on the internet today that add the option of inserting 振り仮名[ふりがな](furigana) into text in a couple of programs that I use everyday.
I use Mozilla Firefox as my main browser for surfing the internet and I have discovered an add-on that allows the user to turn on furigana on any website with Japanese text. This is very useful for people like me who have a hard time remembering kanji pronunciations but still like to visit Japanese websites.
To get the Furigana Injector add-on first you have to download and install it
here. Next, download and install the XHTML Ruby Support Add-on
here. This add-on will allow the Furigana Injector add-on to place furigana above the kanji, without it the furigana will show up in parenthesis next to the kanji which is quite difficult to read.
Once these are installed, restart Firefox and a small button marked "振" will appear at the bottom right of your browser window. Navigate to a site with Japanese text, click the little button and voila: furigana appears above the kanji on the page. The settings for the addon can be tweaked by right-clicking the little button and choosing options. I haven't really looked into these options too in depth because the basic settings seem to be working for me so far.
The second furigana related add-on I have found is for
OpenOffice.org 3.0. This is an open source (meaning free!) office suite, similar to Microsoft Office (though I have found it to be better in some ways and worse in others). I use OpenOffice Writer to type up my homework, essays, writing assignments, letters etc. One problem I have had with doing my Japanese homework in OpenOffice is that I couldn't insert furigana. This becomes a problem when I get to class and try to read my homework, but have forgotten how to read the kanji I had used. Very frustrating, but no more!
To enable the furigana insert feature in OpenOffice Writer open the program and click Tools -> Options. In the pop-up box select Language Settings -> Languages on the left side menu. In the Languages options, check the box labeled "Enabled for Asian Languages" under the "Enhanced Language Support" heading. Next, under the "Default Languages for Documents" heading select Japanese from the drop down menu for Asian.
Unfortunately, this feature does not automatically insert furigana for you, it must be done manually for each kanji you want labeled with furigana. Luckily the process of doing so is simple. Highlight the kanji you want to label and click Format -> Asian phonetic guide (or use the the Windows keyboard shortcut Alt+o+i). In the pop-up box type the hiragana pronunciation in the text box directly to the right of the kanji you are editing and click Apply and then Close. By default this should place furigana above the selected kanji. The settings can be tweaked in the Format -> Asian phonetic guide pop-up box if necessary.
I have already used both the OpenOffice add-on and the Firefox add-on and so far they both work well. The Firefox add-on has a few issues with putting the proper furigana over a few different kanji though, which can be irritating. I don't think there is a better option but I will try to find ont. I am sure both add-ons will be updated with better features in the future so I will keep checking them for updates as well.
