Japanese Morse Code (Wabun Code)

Japanese has its own version of Morse code called Wabun code (和文モールス符号). Instead of Latin letters, each dot-and-dash pattern stands for a kana syllable, so an operator can send Japanese words directly (Wikipedia).

Our main translator works with International Morse code, which covers the Latin alphabet. Use the chart below to encode or decode Japanese kana by hand.

Where Wabun code came from

Japan experimented with a few telegraph codes in the mid-1800s. The code used today is based on a system worked out in 1873 by Yoshida Masahide, Terasaki Yuzuru and others. It was adjusted over the next 20 years, and by 1893, when the long vowel mark was added, it looked almost exactly like the modern version (Japanese Wikipedia).

Wabun code chart (kana to Morse)

The kana are listed in iroha order, the traditional order Wabun charts use. Katakana is shown with the romaji.

Marks and punctuation

Chart checked against Wikipedia's Wabun code table and morsecodes.net.

How voiced sounds work

There are no separate codes for ga, za, da or ba. You send the base kana and then the dakuten mark. So ガ (ga) is カ (ka) plus ゛:

.-.. ..

The same goes for the p sounds. パ (pa) is ハ (ha) plus the handakuten ゜: -... ..--.

Switching between Japanese and International Morse

Many Wabun codes are the same patterns as Latin letters. .- is A in International Morse and イ in Wabun. So operators need a signal that says which code comes next. They send DO (-..---) to switch to Wabun and SN (...-.) to switch back (Wikipedia).

Japanese operators call those signals ホレ (hore) and ラタ (rata), because ホ plus レ and ラ plus タ make exactly the same patterns (JH1LHV Wabun trainer).

"Tora! Tora! Tora!"

The most famous Wabun message is the one sent during the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, as the first wave went in, commander Mitsuo Fuchida had his radio operator send "Tora! Tora! Tora!" back to the fleet to report that surprise had been achieved (Wikipedia). The signal was the kana ト (to) and ラ (ra) sent again and again (Japanese Wikipedia):

..-.. ... (ト ラ)

The earlier order to go ahead with the attack, "Niitakayama nobore" ("Climb Mount Niitaka"), was sent by radio too, but not as plain kana. According to a history from Denki Kogyo, it was converted into five-digit groups from a naval code book before it went out.

Is Wabun code still used?

Yes, by amateur radio operators in Japan. Japanese hams still hold Wabun contacts on the 7 MHz band, and clubs run on-air meetups for it (JF0RRH).

Other languages in Morse code

Japanese isn't the only language with its own Morse. Arabic, Greek, Cyrillic, Hebrew and Korean all have their own mappings. See Morse code for other alphabets on our International Morse code page, which includes the full Arabic chart.

Frequently asked questions

What is Japanese Morse code called? Wabun code (和文モールス符号). It encodes Japanese kana instead of Latin letters.

How do you write ga or pa in Japanese Morse code? Send the base kana, then the voiced mark. ガ is カ (.-..) plus ゛ (..). パ is ハ (-...) plus ゜ (..--.).

How do operators know if a message is in Wabun or English Morse? They send the prosign DO (-..---) before Wabun and SN (...-.) to switch back to International Morse code.

Was "Tora Tora Tora" sent in Morse code? Yes. It was sent as the kana ト and ラ repeated.

Can this site translate Japanese to Morse code? The translator handles International Morse (English letters, numbers and symbols). For Japanese, use the kana chart on this page.

Related: International Morse code · symbols and prosigns · military Morse code · main translator