How to Create Japanese PDFs with pLaTeX

March 28, 2026 · 10 min read

A guide to creating Japanese PDF documents with pLaTeX — from document structure and templates to compilation and common error fixes.

What is pLaTeX?

pLaTeX is a LaTeX implementation designed for Japanese typesetting. It compiles .tex files with the platex command and converts them to PDF using dvipdfmx.

It is included in TeX Live and ready to use once installed. For installation instructions, see Installing TeX Live 2026 on Linux.

Choosing a Document Class

Use the following classes for Japanese documents.

Class	Use case
`jarticle`	Short documents such as papers and reports
`jbook`	Long documents with chapter structure
`jreport`	Technical reports (abstract + chapter structure)
`beamer`	Presentations

Template (jarticle)

A comprehensive sample using jarticle is shown below.

Show sample code

% pLaTeX sample document — covers major features
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{jarticle}

%% ========== Packages ==========
\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}      % Enhanced math
\usepackage{graphicx}              % Include figures
\usepackage{color}                 % Color support
\usepackage{fancyhdr}              % Headers and footers
\usepackage{geometry}              % Page layout
\usepackage{enumerate}             % Custom list labels
\usepackage{url}                   % URL formatting
\usepackage{multicol}              % Multi-column layout
\usepackage{booktabs}              % High-quality table rules
\usepackage{array}                 % Extended table column formats
\usepackage{verbatim}              % Verbatim environment
\usepackage{ascmac}                % Box environments (screen, itembox, etc.)
\usepackage{okumacro}              % Ruby, kenten, etc. (pLaTeX standard)
\usepackage{setspace}              % Line spacing control
\usepackage{listings}              % Source code listings
\usepackage{xcolor}                % Colors (for listings)
\usepackage{caption}               % Caption formatting

%% ========== Page Layout ==========
\geometry{top=25mm, bottom=25mm, left=25mm, right=25mm}
\setlength{\headheight}{17pt}
\addtolength{\topmargin}{-5pt}

%% ========== Headers and Footers ==========
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancyhf{}
\lhead{pLaTeX Sample Document}
\rhead{\today}
\cfoot{\thepage}
\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0.4pt}

%% ========== listings Settings ==========
\lstset{
  basicstyle=\ttfamily\small,
  keywordstyle=\color{blue}\bfseries,
  commentstyle=\color{green!50!black},
  stringstyle=\color{red!70!black},
  numbers=left,
  numberstyle=\tiny\color{gray},
  frame=single,
  breaklines=true,
  tabsize=4,
}

%% ========== Title Information ==========
\title{\textbf{pLaTeX Feature Showcase}\\[5pt]
       \large --- Typical usage of Japanese \LaTeX ---}
\author{John Doe\thanks{Department of Computer Science, Sample University}
        \and Jane Doe}
\date{\today}

%% ================================================================
\begin{document}
%% ================================================================

\maketitle
\thispagestyle{fancy}

\begin{abstract}
This document demonstrates the major features of pLaTeX.
It covers document class and package loading, Japanese typesetting features,
math environments, tables, figures, cross-references, footnotes,
ruby (furigana), kenten (emphasis dots), source code listings,
multi-column layout, and custom commands.
\end{abstract}

\tableofcontents
\newpage

%% ================================================================
\section{Japanese Typesetting Basics}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Mixing Japanese and Latin Text}

pLaTeX handles Japanese and Latin text naturally in the same document.
ASCII characters such as ``Hello, World!'' and \texttt{LaTeX2e}
are automatically spaced appropriately.

Spacing between full-width and half-width characters is adjusted automatically:
JapaneseEnglishJapanese, numbers 123 Japanese, symbol \% Japanese.

\subsection{Ruby (Furigana)}

The \verb|\ruby| command from the \texttt{okumacro} package adds ruby annotations.

\begin{center}
  \ruby{漢字}{かんじ}、\ruby{情報処理}{じょうほうしょり}、
  \ruby{自然言語}{しぜんげんご}\ruby{処理}{しょり}
\end{center}

\subsection{Kenten (Emphasis Dots)}

The \verb|\kenten| command from \texttt{okumacro} adds emphasis dots above characters.

\begin{center}
  \kenten{Important text} can be emphasized with kenten dots.
\end{center}

\subsection{Font Sizes}

{\tiny tiny} {\scriptsize scriptsize} {\footnotesize footnotesize} {\small small}
{\normalsize normalsize} {\large large} {\Large Large} {\LARGE LARGE}
{\huge huge} {\Huge Huge}

\subsection{Text Decoration}

\begin{itemize}
  \item \textbf{Bold}
  \item \textit{Italic}
  \item \textsl{Slanted}
  \item \textsc{Small Caps}
  \item \texttt{Typewriter (monospace)}
  \item \underline{Underlined text}
  \item \textcolor{red}{Red text}
  \item \textcolor{blue!70!black}{Blue text}
  \item \colorbox{yellow}{Highlighted background}
\end{itemize}

%% ================================================================
\section{Document Structure}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Heading Levels}

\texttt{jarticle} supports the following heading levels:
\verb|\section|, \verb|\subsection|, \verb|\subsubsection|,
\verb|\paragraph|, and \verb|\subparagraph|.

\subsubsection{Subsubsection Example}
This is a subsubsection.

\paragraph{Paragraph Heading}
This is an example of a paragraph heading. Body text follows without indentation.

\subsection{Footnotes}

Footnotes\footnote{This is the footnote text. It is placed automatically at the bottom of the page.}
can be added inline. Multiple footnotes\footnote{A second footnote. Numbers are assigned automatically.}
are supported.

\subsection{Cross-references}

Adding \verb|\label| allows referencing with \verb|\ref| and \verb|\pageref|.
Example: the next section is Section~\ref{sec:math} (page~\pageref{sec:math}).

%% ================================================================
\section{Math Environments}
\label{sec:math}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Inline and Display Math}

Inline math: $E = mc^2$, $\alpha + \beta = \gamma$,
$\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}$.

Display math:
\[
  \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2}\,dx = \sqrt{\pi}
\]

\subsection{equation and align Environments}

Numbered equation (\texttt{equation}):
\begin{equation}
  \label{eq:euler}
  e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0
\end{equation}
Equation~\eqref{eq:euler} is Euler's identity.

Multi-line alignment (\texttt{align}):
\begin{align}
  (a+b)^2 &= a^2 + 2ab + b^2 \\
  (a-b)^2 &= a^2 - 2ab + b^2 \\
  (a+b)(a-b) &= a^2 - b^2
\end{align}

\subsection{Matrices and Vectors}

\begin{equation}
  A = \begin{pmatrix} a_{11} & a_{12} \\ a_{21} & a_{22} \end{pmatrix},\quad
  \det(A) = a_{11}a_{22} - a_{12}a_{21}
\end{equation}

\subsection{Cases, Fractions, and Limits}

\begin{equation}
  f(x) = \begin{cases}
    x^2       & (x \geq 0) \\
    -x^2      & (x < 0)
  \end{cases}, \qquad
  \lim_{n\to\infty} \left(1 + \frac{1}{n}\right)^n = e
\end{equation}

%% ================================================================
\section{Tables (tabular Environment)}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Basic Table}

\begin{table}[h]
  \centering
  \caption{Temperature Data by City (sample)}
  \label{tab:temp}
  \begin{tabular}{lrrr}
    \toprule
    City    & High (°C) & Low (°C) & Avg (°C) \\
    \midrule
    Tokyo   & 35.2 & 25.1 & 29.8 \\
    Osaka   & 36.4 & 26.3 & 31.0 \\
    Sapporo & 28.7 & 19.5 & 23.9 \\
    Naha    & 32.1 & 27.4 & 29.8 \\
    \bottomrule
  \end{tabular}
\end{table}

\subsection{Complex Table (\texttt{array} Extension)}

\begin{table}[h]
  \centering
  \caption{Programming Language Comparison}
  \label{tab:lang}
  \begin{tabular}{|l|c|c|c|}
    \hline
    Language   & Typing   & Paradigm     & Main Use \\
    \hline\hline
    Python     & Dynamic  & Multi        & AI/Data Science \\
    Rust       & Static   & Systems      & Systems Programming \\
    Haskell    & Static   & Functional   & Research/Finance \\
    JavaScript & Dynamic  & Multi        & Web Frontend \\
    \hline
  \end{tabular}
\end{table}

Tables~\ref{tab:temp} and~\ref{tab:lang} can be referenced using \verb|\label/\ref|.

%% ================================================================
\section{List Environments}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Bullet List (itemize)}

\begin{itemize}
  \item First item
  \item Second item
    \begin{itemize}
      \item Nested item A
      \item Nested item B
    \end{itemize}
  \item Third item
\end{itemize}

\subsection{Numbered List (enumerate)}

\begin{enumerate}[(1)]   % Custom label format via enumerate package
  \item First step
  \item Next step
  \item Final step
\end{enumerate}

\subsection{Description List (description)}

\begin{description}
  \item[pLaTeX] Japanese-capable \LaTeX engine
  \item[upLaTeX] Unicode-aware successor to pLaTeX
  \item[LuaLaTeX] \LaTeX engine with Lua scripting support
\end{description}

%% ================================================================
\section{Verbatim and Source Code}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{verbatim Environment}

\begin{verbatim}
#include <stdio.h>
int main(void) {
    printf("Hello, pLaTeX!\n");
    return 0;
}
\end{verbatim}

\subsection{Syntax Highlighting with listings}

\begin{lstlisting}[language=Python, caption={Fibonacci sequence (Python)}]
def fibonacci(n: int) -> int:
    """Compute Fibonacci number recursively."""
    if n <= 1:
        return n
    return fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2)

# Print the first 10 terms
for i in range(10):
    print(f"F({i}) = {fibonacci(i)}")
\end{lstlisting}

%% ================================================================
\section{Box Environments}
%% ================================================================

The \texttt{ascmac} package provides \texttt{itembox}, \texttt{screen}, and similar environments.

\begin{itembox}[l]{Key Points}
  \begin{itemize}
    \item Use \texttt{jarticle} / \texttt{jbook} document classes for Japanese
    \item \texttt{okumacro} provides ruby and kenten
    \item Generate PDFs with \texttt{platex + dvipdfmx}
  \end{itemize}
\end{itembox}

\vspace{5pt}

\begin{screen}
\texttt{screen} environment: a terminal-style box, useful for showing command output or code examples.
\end{screen}

%% ================================================================
\section{Multi-Column Layout}
%% ================================================================

The \texttt{multicol} package enables mid-document column switching.

\begin{multicols}{2}
  \noindent
  This is the left column of a two-column layout.
  pLaTeX handles Japanese text in multi-column layouts naturally.
  Long text is distributed evenly across columns automatically,
  making it suitable for newspaper or magazine-style typesetting.

  \columnbreak

  \noindent
  This is the right column.
  Use \verb|\columnbreak| to force a column break.
  Inline math such as $x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$
  works as expected.
\end{multicols}

%% ================================================================
\section{Spacing Adjustments}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Horizontal Space}

Word spacing: a\,b (\verb|\,| thin space),
a\enspace b (\verb|\enspace|),
a\quad b (\verb|\quad|),
a\qquad b (\verb|\qquad|).

\subsection{Vertical Space}

Use \verb|\vspace| to insert vertical space.

\vspace{5mm}
Text after a 5mm vertical space.
\vspace{5mm}

\subsection{Line Spacing}

{\setstretch{1.8}
This paragraph uses \texttt{setstretch} from the \texttt{setspace} package
to set line spacing to 1.8x.
A spacing of 1.5 to 2.0 is generally considered readable for Japanese text.
}

%% ================================================================
\section{Custom Commands and Environments}
%% ================================================================

\subsection{Defining Custom Commands}

\newcommand{\R}{\mathbb{R}}
\newcommand{\N}{\mathbb{N}}
\newcommand{\highlight}[1]{\colorbox{yellow!60}{#1}}
\newcommand{\term}[1]{\textbf{\textit{#1}}}  % Term emphasis

Examples: $\R$ (real numbers), $\N$ (natural numbers).
\highlight{Highlighted text}.
\term{Machine learning} is a subfield of artificial intelligence.

\subsection{Defining Custom Environments}

\newenvironment{mybox}[1]{%
  \begin{center}\begin{tabular}{|p{0.85\linewidth}|}
  \hline\vspace{1pt}
  \textbf{#1}\\[2pt]
}{%
  \\\hline\end{tabular}\end{center}
}

\begin{mybox}{Custom Box}
  Use \verb|\newenvironment| to define reusable environments.
  They can accept arguments for flexible customization.
\end{mybox}

%% ================================================================
\section{References}
%% ================================================================

Cite references with the \verb|\cite| command~\cite{knuth1984,lamport1994,okumura2020}.
The reference list is output at the end of the document.

%% ================================================================
%% Reference list (thebibliography environment)
%% ================================================================
\begin{thebibliography}{99}

\bibitem{knuth1984}
  D.~E. Knuth,
  \textit{The \TeX book},
  Addison-Wesley, 1984.

\bibitem{lamport1994}
  L.~Lamport,
  \textit{\LaTeX: A Document Preparation System}, 2nd ed.,
  Addison-Wesley, 1994.

\bibitem{okumura2020}
  H.~Okumura and Y.~Kuroki,
  \textit{\LaTeXe Beautiful Document Creation Guide}, 8th ed.,
  Gijutsu-Hyoronsha, 2020.

\end{thebibliography}

\end{document}

Compilation

Basic (platex + dvipdfmx)

Run platex twice to resolve cross-references and table of contents, then convert to PDF with dvipdfmx.

platex -interaction=nonstopmode -kanji=utf8 document.tex
platex -interaction=nonstopmode -kanji=utf8 document.tex
dvipdfmx document.dvi

ptex2pdf

ptex2pdf combines the platex + dvipdfmx two-step process into a single command.

Option	Meaning
`-l`	Use latex-based engine (platex)
`-ot "..."`	Options passed to platex
`-kanji=utf8`	Set input encoding to UTF-8
`-interaction=nonstopmode`	Continue processing without stopping on errors

How to Create Japanese PDFs with pLaTeX

What is pLaTeX?

Choosing a Document Class

Template (jarticle)

Compilation

Basic (platex + dvipdfmx)

ptex2pdf

Basic Command

Steps

Common Errors and Fixes

Undefined control sequence

Missing $ inserted

File not found

Overfull \hbox

Checking the Log

Cleaning Up Intermediate Files

コメント

コメントを投稿する

What is pLaTeX?​

Choosing a Document Class​

Template (jarticle)​

Compilation​

Basic (platex + dvipdfmx)​

ptex2pdf​

Basic Command​

Steps​

Common Errors and Fixes​

Undefined control sequence​

Missing $ inserted​

File not found​

Overfull \hbox​

Checking the Log​

Cleaning Up Intermediate Files​

コメント

コメントを投稿する

What is pLaTeX?

Choosing a Document Class

Template (jarticle)

Compilation

Basic (platex + dvipdfmx)

ptex2pdf

Basic Command

Steps

Common Errors and Fixes

Undefined control sequence

Missing $ inserted

File not found

Overfull \hbox

Checking the Log

Cleaning Up Intermediate Files