# Looking for a PC font

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-pc-font/208436>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 20, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-pc-font/208436 "2003-10-20T00:54:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-pc-font/208436/1 "2003-10-20T00:54:44Z")

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I’m searching for a free font to use with MS Word. Specifically I’m looking for a Japanese Kana character set. I tried using Google to search, but the sites that it comes up with don’t seem to be much help.

Also, something strange I’m curious about. I happens in both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.  
There’s a site that has Hiragana which displays perfectly. One of the words is a link, I click it, a new window opens up, but it doesn’t display Japanese characters correctly, does anybody have any idea why this might be happening? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-pc-font/208436/2 "2003-10-21T11:04:20Z")

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You might want to try installing this [Office XP IME](http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ceed31cd-15a9-4b86-afe5-e77a095599f3&DisplayLang=en)… it should allow you to enter what you want.

About your second question, it may be because the webpage is not set to display the correct language encoding. To see if that’s the case, go to the page, **right-click** on your mouse, go to **Encoding** , and then choose one of the available **Japanese** options (it may be under the **More** submenu).

If these suggestions don’t help, let me know and I’ll ask my friend (who regularly deals with Japanese programs and webpages) what to do.

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**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-pc-font/208436/3 "2003-10-21T15:44:52Z")

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Thanks, I’ll give it a try. Oh, I guess I should have mentioned that I’m using Windows 98 and Word 2002, not Word XP, but I don’t think that that should be a problem.  
Anyway, later when I have time, I’ll give everything a try and let you know if it works or not.

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**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-pc-font/208436/4 "2003-10-22T12:44:17Z")

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I downloaded an IME for non XP users, which seems to be working fine. Thanks.