Japanese OCR
Use this free Japanese OCR to pull editable text out of an image or scanned PDF — recognition runs entirely in your browser, so your file is never uploaded.
The OCR engine downloads on first use (a few MB) and is then cached.
More presets
Jump to another preset — each opens its own page ready to go:
How to use the Japanese OCR
- Drop in an image or scanned PDF — the language is preselected for you.
- Wait while the text is recognised (the language model downloads once, then is cached).
- Copy or download the recognised text.
About Japanese OCR
Optical character recognition (OCR) turns the letters in a photo or scan into real, editable text. This Japanese OCR uses a language model trained for that script, so language- and script-specific characters are recognised far more accurately than with an English-only model.
Everything happens in your browser — the image or PDF is decoded and recognised locally and never uploaded. The language model is fetched from a CDN on first use and cached, so later runs start instantly. For the best results, use a sharp, well-lit, straight image.
Japanese OCR has to juggle three scripts at once — kanji, hiragana and katakana — often packed densely with little spacing, so a model tuned for Japanese reads them far more reliably than a generic one. It also copes with the vertical, top-to-bottom columns used in novels, manga and traditional print, where left-to-right engines tend to scramble the line order. Reach for it when you're digitising scanned books, business cards (meishi), product packaging or any photo of mixed Japanese text.
Frequently asked questions
Which language does this recognise?
This page preselects one language’s model, but you can switch to any supported language — including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and many European languages — with the picker above the drop zone.
Is the image uploaded?
No. The image or PDF is recognised entirely in your browser, so it never leaves your device — safe for private documents.
Can it read scanned PDFs?
Yes. Scanned PDFs are rasterised page by page and each page is recognised, then the text is joined together.
Why is the first run slower?
The recognition engine and the language model download from a CDN the first time you use them (a few MB), then they’re cached, so later runs start right away.
Can it read vertical (top-to-bottom) Japanese text?
Yes — it handles the vertical, top-to-bottom column layout common in Japanese novels, manga and print, not just horizontal lines. For the cleanest result, crop tightly to the text block so the column order is read correctly.