JIS Layout Alliance

JIS Layout Alliance

To preserve the “physical future” of the Japanese language sequence

(This page is a draft. This initiative is currently under discussion with the companies and designers involved.)

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1. mission

A keyboard with a Japanese layout is a computer keyboard with a key layout that conforms to the JIS X 6002 Information Processing Keyboard layout, a standard established by the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS).

However, JIS X 6002 defines mainly the layout of “what should exist in what position as a key” (the arrangement and names of character keys such as alphabet, kana, and symbols), and does not go into the physical specifications.

For example, “hardware form” such as space bar lengths, bottom row key assignments, and stabilizer locations, dimensions, and tolerances are not specified.

As a result, the bottom rows of Japanese layouts (around the space bar, non-conversion, conversion, and kana keys) have not been standardized at all, and have been different from manufacturer to manufacturer/model to model for many years.

The disparate physical specifications make it nearly impossible to substitute parts such as replacement space bars, keycaps, plates, and PCBs from other manufacturers.

A particular problem is the length of the space bar.

In ANSI layouts (commonly used in English-speaking countries), the space bar is approximately 6.25u in length, which is the de facto standard, and a culture of keycap replacement has been established among the products of various companies.

Users can freely customize the space bar and can safely replace it with third-party products.

This is also true for the manufacturers who design and sell keycaps.

As a result, keyboards are not “buy and play” objects.

On the other hand, in Japanese-language layouts, the space bar is often shorter, such as 4.5u or 4.25u, and the length and support (position of stabilizers) of the space bar varies from product to product.

Because of this, the compatible space bar itself is virtually non-existent on the market.

In other words, only Japanese-language sequences are physically isolated.

Furthermore, Japanese users have a strong culture of quickly switching between “Kana” and “Eisuji” with a single key, and many find it difficult to use without a “bottom row of Japanese layout (including the non-conversion/conversion key)” to begin with.

In addition to this, the “half/full-width” key is indispensable for Windows users.

This is a barrier to entry for foreign manufacturers, inducing them to make the decision that Japanese-language layouts are too costly and will be an afterthought.

This situation is disadvantageous to users who want to choose Japanese-language layout, and as a result, it has encouraged design decisions that “Japanese-language layout is too cumbersome to adopt” or “Japanese-language layout is only available in limited models.

In the long run, this will reduce the viability of the Japanese sequence itself.

The JIS Layout Alliance is an effort to address this problem by “creating a minimum common physical baseline for the space bar of Japanese layouts alone.

The goal is not “standardization for standardization’s sake.

Our goal is to keep Japanese-language arrays alive in a form that can be sold, made, and played in the future.

The goal is to return the Japanese language sequence to a culture that can be properly tended to and nurtured, rather than one that is “special and unwieldy.

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2. why do it now?

Today, the market for low-profile keyboards is expanding rapidly.

Kailh choc v2, Gateron Low Profile (2.0 / 3.0 generation), and other low-profile key switches are available from various companies, each with its own stabilizer structure, plate design, and PCB cutout.

The result is a rather difficult situation for low-profile mechanical keyboards, including ANSI.

• Low-pro is not compatible, but rather “low-pro is incompatible”.
• Manufacturer A’s space bar does not match manufacturer B’s stabilizer position
• No replacement keycaps or spare parts on the market

At the same time, the number of brands that officially offer Japanese-language sequences is increasing.

Nevertheless, there is still no cross-industry agreement “let’s make this the standard” for the bottom line of Japanese-language sequences.

This is especially true for the size of the space bar, which can be 4.5u or 4.25u, and varies from model to model.

Because of this, it is difficult for Japanese users to enjoy the fun of buying a keyboard and later replacing its parts to their own liking.

Manufacturers are more likely to judge that the return on Japanese-language layouts is small compared to the cost, and the priority for Japanese-language layouts will be reduced.

In other words, we are now at the crossroads of whether to “save the Japanese sequence here and create a common assumption” or to “leave it as a special treatment again.

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3. proposed baseline

This is the core of JIS Layout Alliance.

The first thing we need to agree on is how to handle the “physical interface” of the bottom row of the Japanese layout, especially around the space bar.

3.1 Spacebar Length Class

First, organize the length of the space bar as follows

The “u” is a unit of width used in keyboard design. 1u represents the width of one standard key.
In a typical keyboard, the pitch (center-to-center) between adjacent keys is defined as 3/4″ = 19.05mm, and this one-key width is called a “1u. 4.5u or 4.25u refers to a space bar that is 4.5 or 4.25 times longer than the 1u.

It is important to note that we are not talking about “only 4.5u is correct and 4.25u is truncated”.

The idea is to keep 4.5u as the future reference axis, while leaving 4.25u as a realistic option.

This will prevent Japanese keyboards in the market from being treated as “incompatible” at once.

Although various other space bar lengths exist, we recommend that all newly designed and developed Japanese keyboards (by Alliance participating brands) in the future be basically based on one of these 4.5u/4.25u classes.

3.2 Stabilizer fulcrum span (lateral distance)

Even more important than the length of the space bar itself is “the positioning of the two points on either side that support it under the space bar.

Specifically, we aim to treat the distance between the centers of the ful crums (stabilizers, auxiliary feet, etc.) on either side of the switch in the center of the space bar (i. e., stabilizer fulcrum span) as a common value.

This commonality is important for the following three reasons

• The keycap manufacturer can easily deploy a space bar for either 4.5u/4.25u by providing one type of receiving structure (the mounting area behind the space bar).
• The designer of PCBs and plates can also determine the clearance holes and fixing positions based on the common assumption of only that span.
• Replacement space bars and keycaps can be the foundation for a commercially available replacement space bar and keycap.
• Even with Japanese-language layouts, it will be easier to establish a culture of “customization after purchase.

In other words, defining the stabilizer fulcrum span is equivalent to creating a “physical interface standard” at the bottom of the Japanese sequence.

This is the first thing JIS Layout Alliance wants to protect.

3.3 What not to ask for

I want to make it clear here that we do not intend to go into the internal know-how of each company.

• Mechanism of the stabilizer (wire bending, housing fixing method, lubrication method, auxiliary pin shape, etc.)
• Plate holding structure and fixing clip shape
• Material selection for housing and wires

We respect these details as specific to each brand. We do not require public disclosure or uniformity.
JIS Layout Alliance only wants to share interface dimensions (where the fulcrum should be).

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4. scope (do’s and don’ts)

Here, JIS Layout Alliance clarifies “do’s” and “don’ts”.

By clearly delineating this line, manufacturers can create an environment in which users can easily enjoy their products while preserving their “own identity.

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5.Participants & Outreach / Prospective Participants and Dialogue Status

This initiative is not the sole idea of Greenkeys operator Kawamura.

We are currently engaged in individual dialogues with the following players

• Global brands that actually mass produce and sell Japanese keyboards
  (Preference given to brands that offer J Japanese keyboards in both normal profile and low profile)
• Designers deeply involved in low-profile switch and key profile design
• International brands considering keycap production and space bar supply for Japanese layouts

At this time, names and specific figures are “under negotiation and will not be disclosed”.

Players who have formally agreed to participate in the program will be made available to the public as founding participants.

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Roadmap / How to proceed

The JIS Layout Alliance will not suddenly announce a completed specification, but will open it up in stages.

This roadmap is not fixed.

The JIS Layout Alliance treats the JIS layout as a “living specification” for its continued viability.

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7. glossary

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Finally.

The JIS Layout Alliance is an effort to ensure that brands and third-party keycap makers share the same assumptions about the Japanese JIS bottom row.

By doing so, we hope to make it commonplace in Japan to “cultivate the keyboard as more than an input device, but also as a pleasure,” similar to the 6.25u culture in the rest of the world.

The baseline shown here (based on 4.5u, 4.25u also allowed / common stabilizer fulcrum span) is the framework of the ongoing discussion.

This page will be updated. Specific figures, diagrams, and tolerances will be added as they are agreed upon with the companies and designers involved.

We will support both the industry and the users so that JIS sequences will be properly preserved in the future.