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About this genkouyoushi maker
Genkouyoushi (原稿用紙, genkō yōshi) is the Japanese manuscript paper that students use for essays, book reports and compositions. Every square holds one character, so you always know how many characters you wrote. A standard sheet has 400 squares: 20 lines of 20.
This tool makes a sheet you can print at once. Choose vertical writing (tategaki, the classic way) or horizontal writing (yokogaki), 400 or 200 squares, and a colour. The PDF on the right changes as you click. It is drawn with vector lines, so it prints sharp on any printer.
Features
- 400 or 200 squares — 20 × 20 for a full sheet, 20 × 10 for short answers
- Vertical or horizontal — columns from right to left, or rows from the top
- Ruby lines — a narrow strip next to every line for furigana and corrections
- Centre fold mark — the strip in the middle with the two fold marks (柱 and 魚尾), as on a real sheet
- Counting numbers — a small 5, 10, 15, 20 next to the lines, so you can count characters fast
- Five styles — red-brown, green, blue, grey to save ink, or soft tinted squares
- US Letter or A4 — the page turns by itself to give the biggest squares, up to 50 pages
The parts of the sheet
- The squares — one character, one small kana or one punctuation mark in each square.
- The ruby strip — the narrow space next to each line. Write furigana (the small reading of a kanji) here, or a correction.
- The centre strip (柱) — the wider space in the middle of a 400-square sheet. The two dark marks (魚尾, "fish tails") show where to fold the sheet in half. Old manuscripts were folded and bound here.
- The numbers — 5, 10, 15 and 20 above the columns (or beside the rows). Each line holds 20 characters, so 5 lines are 100 characters.
How to write on genkouyoushi
These are the usual school rules in Japan:
- Write the title on the first line. Leave 2 or 3 empty squares before it.
- Write your name on the second line. End it one square before the end of the line.
- Start the text on the next line. Each new paragraph starts with one empty square.
- Small kana (っ, ゃ, ゅ, ょ) and punctuation (。 and 、) each take their own square.
- Brackets 「 and 」 also take a square each.
- A line never starts with 。 or 、. When the line is full, put the mark in the last square with the character, or just below the line.
- In vertical writing, write numbers in kanji (二十, 三百). In horizontal writing, two digits can share one square.
Square sizes
The squares are as big as the page allows. With the counting numbers on and the web address at the bottom:
| Sheet | US Letter | A4 |
|---|---|---|
| 400 squares, vertical | 8.6 mm (landscape) | 8.5 mm (landscape) |
| 400 squares, horizontal | 8.3 mm (portrait) | 8.9 mm (portrait) |
| 200 squares, vertical | 11.9 mm (portrait) | 12.8 mm (portrait) |
| 200 squares, horizontal | 12.3 mm (landscape) | 12.4 mm (landscape) |
A 400-square sheet in vertical writing is wide, so it prints in landscape, like the real B4 and A4 sheets.
How many sheets do I need?
| Task | Characters | 400-square sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Short answer | up to 200 | 1 sheet of 200 squares |
| School essay | 400 | 1 |
| Book report (読書感想文) | 800 to 1,200 | 2 to 3 |
| Long essay | 2,000 | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
What does genkouyoushi mean?
原稿 (genkō) means manuscript, and 用紙 (yōshi) means a sheet of paper. So genkouyoushi is "manuscript paper". People also write it genkoyoshi or genkō yōshi.
Should I write vertically or horizontally?
Most school essays in Japan are written vertically, from the top of the right column down, then column by column to the left. Horizontal sheets are used for science reports, for letters and numbers, and by many learners of Japanese. Ask your teacher if you are not sure.
What is the narrow strip between the lines for?
It is for ruby, the small furigana next to a kanji, and for corrections. If you do not need it, turn it off under More options to get a little more room for the squares.
Why is the vertical sheet in landscape?
Twenty columns with ruby strips are wider than they are tall. A real 400-square sheet is also used sideways. The tool picks the side of the page that gives the biggest squares.
Can I use it to practise for an exam?
Yes. Many Japanese exams and the essay part of school tests use this paper. Print a few pages, set a timer, and write. The counting numbers show at once how many characters you have.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up and no watermark. The PDF is made in your browser.
Good to know
- Print at Actual size or 100%, not "Fit to page".
- The title and name lines are off at first. Turn them on under More options.
- Your settings are saved in this browser for your next visit.
Related tools
- Kanji Practice Sheet — practise kanji in a tracing grid before you write
- Wongoji — the Korean manuscript paper
- Tian Zi Ge Paper — Chinese practice paper with a cross in each square
- Japanese Keyboard — type kana online
- Japanese Era Converter — write the date in the Reiwa era
- Printable Lined Paper — plain lined paper
How to use it
- Choose 400 or 200 squares per page
- Choose Vertical or Horizontal writing
- Pick a Style and the paper size, US Letter or A4
- Under More options, turn the ruby strip, the fold mark, the numbers or the title line on or off
- Click Download PDF or Print, and print at Actual size
