About the Japanese layout of HHKB Studio Keycaps

This is Kawamura of Greenkeys management.

Well, the HHKB Studio Keycaps giveaway campaign started yesterday.

The deadline is October 19 at 21:00.

The products to be given away are the KAT Operator Base Kit and the HHKB Studio Kit as a set, so this is a great deal not only for HHKB Studio fans, but also for any mechanical keyboard fan.

Please join us!

…So let’s get down to business.

Possibilities and challenges of selling HHKB Studio Keycaps with Japanese layout

Conclusion, My possible answer at this point is that there may be a Japanese version of HHKB Studio Keycaps. I am not sure if it is possible to release a Japanese version of HHKB Studio Keycaps.

The keycaps that we are planning to release this time are, as it goes without saying, “English layout only” keycaps, and will not fit Japanese layouts at all.

The reasons for this are as follows

Issue 1: Different key arrangements

First, there is the “different key arrangement” problem.

This is the English sequence.

Next, buy the figure marked in red where the “key printing” itself differs when comparing Japanese-English and English layouts.

Thus, the characters printed and typed on the “almost” keys themselves are different between the English and Japanese layouts.

The printing method used in the HHKB Studio Kit, which is currently scheduled for sale, is called “two-color molding (double shot),” in which two different colored materials are combined to express the printing.

The beauty of this method is that the printing never disappears.

On the other hand, a special mold is required for creation.

In other words, if you adopt Japanese layout and manufacture keycaps by double-shot, you cannot use the same molds as those used for English layout, so you have to make all the molds from scratch.

If we were to create a mold for keycaps for Japanese-language layouts only, excluding Japanese-language sublegend, there would be enough for approximately 20 keys.

Assuming that the cost of making one mold is 200,000 yen, it will cost approximately 4 million yen to produce approximately 20 keys.

As for the number of HHKB Studio products in circulation, we are not sure, but if we want to recoup this cost, we would have to sell “quite a few”.

Issue 2: B key cutouts do not match.

Second, there is a problem with the “B” key cutout not fitting.

In the HHKB Japanese layout, R3 (the first row from the bottom) is “less displaced” compared to a regular keyboard.

Therefore, the mold must be made from scratch because of the different position of the “B” key cutout to avoid the pointing stick.

Issue 3: Space bar cannot be prepared with a special standard.

The space bar of HHKB Japanese layout is “2.5u” size.

The space bar differs from the other keys in that it is a “convex shape,” meaning that the top surface of the key is raised.

This 2.5u size space bar does not exist in the world.

There are three major space bars in the world

The space bar on a normal English keyboard is mostly 6.25u in size, but on some models it may be 7.0u.

In addition, ergonomic keyboards, called Alice layouts, often have a space bar of 2.25u/2.75u.

Since Planck and other linear keyboards use a 2.0u space bar, there are a reasonable number of keycap sets that support it.

The reason why we have these space bar molds is because they are in demand in the global market.

Making molds for the very small market of Japan is likely to be frowned upon due to cost-effectiveness.

Furthermore, it is easy to imagine that creating a 2.5u-sized space bar, which is only used in the HHKB Japanese layout, would be a bit…

Call for replacement keycaps for HHKB Studio Japanese layout

I’ve heard a lot of people ask, “Will you be releasing a Japanese-language version of the HHKB Studio Keycaps?” We have actually received quite a few inquiries asking, “Will you release a Japanese-language version of the HHKB Studio Keycaps?

We also received a request from HHKB evangelist Biakko. (Thank you, we’ll be back for more Keeket coverage)

以前書かれてましたが、ぜひ US 配列版売れたら日本語配列の方のご検討もぜひ……！

— たのしい人生 (びあっこ) (@Biacco42) October 13, 2024

In addition to these cases, we have received direct inquiries from companies and individuals, and we still have the impression that there is a need for this service.

Since the CNET JAPAN article also shows that “JIS layouts account for 50% of sales,” it could be said that sales of replacement keycaps for Japanese layouts could be as high as those for English layouts.

So the biggest factor to consider is “how many English-language sequences are sold”.

Summary and Uncertain Outlook

So, I hope you have understood that the “mold making” part of the process is complicated.

However, once “sublimation printing” is used, the creation of molds is no longer necessary, so the production cost is only for the creation of special size space bars, since the printing design can be simply requested.

In a manner of speaking, it is no exaggeration to say that “Double Shot” keycaps using “PBT material” in the keycap world are “the highest quality in the industry.

This is probably why sublimation printing is used in many cases because of the cost and technical hurdles involved.

In the meantime, sublimation printing is fully possible with the KAT profile, but I still have a personal feeling that KAT is only meaningful with a double shot, so if I were to do it, it might be with a different profile.

現在、水面化で動いているプロジェクトもあるため、何かしらの形で実現できる未来を想像しています。

The client will definitely be Keyreative.

とはいえ、やはり「英語配列の交換用キーキャップの売上」が私のマイルストーンになることには変わりありませんので、ぜひとも今回の企画をみなさんの力で応援していただければ幸いです。