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Wabun code
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| Language | Japanese (basic support) |
|---|---|
| Classification | non-Latin Morse code for Kana |
| Succeeded by | JIS C 0803 (JIS X 6001), JIS C 6220 (JIS X 0201) |
Wabun code (和文モールス符号, wabun mōrusu fugō; Morse code for Japanese text) is a form of Morse code used to send Japanese language in kana characters.[1] Unlike International Morse Code, which represents letters of the Latin script, in Wabun each symbol represents a Japanese kana.[2] For this reason, Wabun code is also sometimes called Kana code.[3]
When Wabun code is intermixed with International Morse code, the prosign DO ( ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ) is used to announce the beginning of Wabun, and the prosign SN ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ) is used to announce the return to International Code.
Chart
[edit]Kana in Iroha order.
Mora Code ITU Mora Code ITU Mora Code ITU Mora Code ITU い i ▄ ▄▄▄ A わ wa ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ K ゐ wi ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ Ł さ sa ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ろ ro ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ Ä か ka ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ L の no ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ Ü き ki ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ Ç は ha ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ B よ yo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ M お o ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ & ゆ yu ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ に ni ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ C た ta ▄▄▄ ▄ N く ku ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ V め me ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ = ほ ho ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ D れ re ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ O や ya ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ W み mi ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ へ he ▄ E そ so ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ Ö ま ma ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ X し shi ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ Ĝ と to ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ É つ tsu ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ P け ke ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ Y ゑ we ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ Þ ち chi ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ F ね ne ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ Q ふ fu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ Z ひ hi ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ Ż り ri ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ G な na ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ R こ ko ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ Š も mo ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ / ぬ nu ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ H ら ra ▄ ▄ ▄ S え e ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ せ se ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ Ĵ る ru ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ( む mu ▄▄▄ T て te ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ す su ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ を wo ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ J う u ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ U あ a ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ Ñ ん n ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ +
Punctuation Code ITU ◌゛ Dakuten ▄ ▄ I ◌゜ Handakuten ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ Ð ー Chōonpu ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ Å 、 Comma ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ . 。 Full stop ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ( Left
parenthesis▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ( ) Right
parenthesis▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ )
Expanded chart
[edit]| Monographs (gojūon) | Digraphs (yōon) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | i | u | e | o | ya | yu | yo | |
| ∅ | ア a ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
イ i ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ウ u ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
エ e ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
オ o ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
|||
| K | カ ka ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
キ ki ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ク ku ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ケ ke ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
コ ko ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
キャ kya ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
キュ kyu ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
キョ kyo ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| S | サ sa ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
シ shi ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ス su ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
セ se ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ソ so ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
シャ sha ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
シュ shu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ショ sho ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| T | タ ta ▄▄▄ ▄ |
チ chi ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ツ tsu ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
テ te ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ト to ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
チャ cha ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
チュ chu ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
チョ cho ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| N | ナ na ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ニ ni ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ヌ nu ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ネ ne ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ノ no ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ニャ nya ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ニュ nyu ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ニョ nyo ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| H | ハ ha ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヒ hi ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
フ fu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヘ he ▄ |
ホ ho ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヒャ hya ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヒュ hyu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヒョ hyo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| M | マ ma ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ミ mi ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ム mu ▄▄▄ |
メ me ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
モ mo ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ミャ mya ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ミュ myu ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ミョ myo ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| Y | ヤ ya ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ユ yu ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヨ yo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
|||||
| R | ラ ra ▄ ▄ ▄ |
リ ri ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ル ru ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
レ re ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ロ ro ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
リャ rya ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
リュ ryu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
リョ ryo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| W | ワ wa ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヰ (wi) ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヱ (we) ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヲ wo ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
||||
| * | ン n ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
、 Comma ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ |
。 Full stop ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
Dakuten ◌゛ Diacritic ▄ ▄ |
Handakuten ◌゜ Diacritic ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
Chōonpu ー Long Vowel ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ | ||
| Monographs with diacritics (gojūon with dakuten) | Digraphs with diacritics (yōon with dakuten) | |||||||
| a | i | u | e | o | ya | yu | yo | |
| G (K) |
ガ ga ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ギ gi ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
グ gu ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ゲ ge ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ゴ go ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ギャ gya ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ギュ gyu ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ギョ gyo ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| Z (S) |
ザ za ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ジ ji ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ズ zu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ゼ ze ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ゾ zo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ジャ ja ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ジュ ju ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ジョ jo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| D (T) |
ダ da ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヂ dji ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヅ dzu ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
デ de ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ド do ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ヂャ dja ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヂュ dju ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ヂョ djo ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| B (H) |
バ ba ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ビ bi ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ |
ブ bu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ベ be ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ボ bo ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ |
ビャ bya ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ビュ byu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ビョ byo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
| Monographs with diacritics (gojūon with handakuten) | Digraphs with diacritics (yōon with handakuten) | |||||||
| a | i | u | e | o | ya | yu | yo | |
| P (H) |
パ pa ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ピ pi ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
プ pu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ペ pe ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ポ po ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ |
ピャ pya ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ピュ pyu ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
ピョ pyo ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ |
References
[edit]- ^ Millikin, Donald (September 1942). "The Japanese Morse Telegraph Code". QST. Vol. XXVI, no. 9. American Radio Relay League. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ Japanese Government. "Radio Station Operation Regulations, Article 12, Attached Table No. 1, Morse Code" (PDF). 1945 Radio Regulatory Commission Rule No. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ Supplied (10 July 2015). "Chart of Kana morse signals". ABC Radio National. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
External links
[edit]Wabun code
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Wabun code, also known as Japanese Morse code, is a specialized variant of Morse code designed to encode and transmit Japanese language text using sequences of dots and dashes representing kana characters, primarily the 48 basic katakana and hiragana syllables, along with additional symbols for extended usage.[1][2] Unlike International Morse Code, which is optimized for the Latin alphabet with variable-length codes based on letter frequency, Wabun employs a phonographic system where each kana mora receives a unique code, facilitating efficient telegraphy and radio communication in Japanese without transliteration.[1][3]
The origins of Wabun code trace back to the mid-19th century, during Japan's early adoption of Western telecommunication technologies amid the opening of the country following the arrival of Commodore Perry's fleet in 1853. In 1854, Dutch engineers, leveraging their exclusive trading position at Dejima, introduced the first prototype of a Japanese Morse code system alongside a printing telegraph gifted to the Tokugawa shogunate, adapting the codes to katakana characters to suit the Japanese phonetic structure.[3] This initial version, taught through manuals and training by figures like J. K. van den Broek, featured fixed-length codes that did not account for kana frequency, marking an early but functional effort to integrate telegraphy into Japanese society. By 1855, Japanese officers demonstrated the system publicly at Hama-Goten in Edo (modern Tokyo), sending messages in katakana to showcase its potential for official and military communications.[3]
Over the following decades, Wabun code evolved into a standardized tool for Japan's expanding telegraph network, established nationwide after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and was widely used for domestic and international messaging until the mid-20th century. It played a critical role in military operations, including during World War II for naval and air signals, and persists today among amateur radio enthusiasts, particularly on shortwave bands like 3.515–3.525 MHz, where operators exchange formal QSOs (contacts) in Japanese.[1][4] The code's structure, beginning transmissions with the prosign "DO" and ending with "SN," underscores its procedural formality, distinguishing it from more abbreviated international practices.[4]
Voiced kana (those with dakuten, such as が, ざ, だ, ば) and semi-voiced kana (with handakuten, such as ぱ, ぴ) each receive unique code sequences distinct from their unvoiced counterparts, rather than using appended modifiers. For example, ka is -.- while ga is -.-..-; ha is .--.. while pa is .--.-.. This system allows for complete phonetic representation without diacritic appendages during transmission. For the full set of codes including voiced, semi-voiced, and yōon combinations, refer to specialized encoding resources.[2]
History
Development
Telegraphy was introduced to Japan in the mid-19th century amid growing Western influences during the late Edo period. In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry's expedition demonstrated Samuel Morse's telegraph system to Japanese officials in Yokohama, using the instrument to transmit messages over short distances and highlighting its potential for rapid communication. This event, coupled with the offering of a telegraph prototype by Dutch traders at Dejima in 1854 (with a demonstration following in 1855), exposed Japan to electrical telegraphy for the first time.[5][3] Recognizing the limitations of Morse code for alphabetic languages in transmitting Japanese, early adapters focused on encoding kana syllabary instead of the thousands of kanji characters, which were impractical for telegraphy. In 1854, Dutch engineers localized Morse code specifically for 48 katakana symbols, creating an initial variant by assigning dot-dash combinations without optimizing for character frequency due to limited linguistic data. Japanese trainees, including figures like Keisai Yoshio and Saigo Ichikawa, demonstrated this adapted system in Edo (modern Tokyo) in 1855, spanning distances up to several kilometers between sites like Hama-Goten palace. By 1857, domestic innovators such as Kisuke Nakamura in the Saga domain had developed prototype telegraphs using similar principles, testing them over 540 meters. Japan's first operational telegraph line, between Tokyo and Yokohama, opened in 1869 and employed an early kana-based Morse variant for official communications.[3][6][7] In the 1880s, as the Meiji government expanded the national telegraph network to cover major cities and prefectural capitals, engineers from the Imperial Japanese Telegraph Bureau refined these early prototypes into a cohesive system for kana transmission. The Imo Rebellion in Korea (1882) highlighted security concerns, leading to a temporary ban on private coded telegrams from August to September 1882 to centralize and regulate official communications. Key challenges included efficiently representing the 46 basic hiragana (or katakana equivalents) plus diacritics for voiced (dakuten) and semi-voiced (handakuten) sounds, while keeping code lengths comparable to international Morse to maintain transmission speed and avoid excessive signal duration. These adaptations prioritized conceptual simplicity over exhaustive optimization, laying the groundwork for broader implementation.[8][9]Standardization and Adoption
The Wabun code saw significant adoption in Japan's national telegraph networks by the 1890s, following its early development and amendments to the Telegraph Handling Rules in the 1880s, enabling efficient transmission of Japanese text across expanding landline and wireless systems.[10] This integration supported growing commercial and governmental communications, with the code becoming the primary method for domestic telegraphy while International Morse was reserved for foreign correspondence.[6] The code matured in the early 20th century through regulatory updates by the Japanese Ministry of Communications, ensuring consistency in telegraph operations nationwide and reflecting its evolution from ad hoc variants to a unified system optimized for Japanese phonetics.[8] During World War II, Wabun code was extensively employed in military radio communications, including the famous "Tora Tora Tora" signal transmitted on December 7, 1941, from a Nakajima B5N aircraft to confirm the success of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.[11] The signal, encoded as six Wabun sequences representing the repeated syllable "tora" (tiger), was sent via continuous wave (CW) on a Model 96 transmitter operating at 150 W power.[11] Postwar regulatory approval came through Rule No. 17 of the Radio Regulatory Commission in 1950, which formalized Wabun as the standard for Japanese Morse in radio operations, building on wartime precedents.[12] Subsequent transitions included JIS C 0803, promulgated in 1961, which defined the key arrangement and extended the character set for telegraph equipment compatibility.[13] This was followed by JIS C 6220 in 1969 (renamed JIS X 0201 in 1987), introducing enhancements like additional katakana and Roman characters to support evolving electronic interchange while maintaining backward compatibility with Wabun encodings.[14]Description
Encoding Principles
Wabun code utilizes dots and dashes in sequences analogous to those in International Morse code, but these are specifically tailored to represent individual Japanese kana characters. The encoding employs variable-length codes, with most kana represented by 2 to 5 elements, allowing for a balance between compactness and unambiguous decoding while accommodating the 48 basic hiragana (or katakana equivalents) plus extensions.[15] To facilitate mixed usage with International Morse code, the prosign DO—transmitted as -..---. (dash dit dit dash dash dash dash dit)—signals the transition to Wabun mode, while the prosign SN—transmitted as ...-. (three dots dash dot)—indicates a return to International Morse code.[6][16] Diacritics including dakuten (for voicing unvoiced consonants, e.g., ka to ga) and handakuten (for semi-voicing, e.g., ha to pa) are treated as independent symbols, each assigned dedicated codes rather than altering the sequences of base kana.[17] The chōonpu (ー), denoting a prolonged vowel sound, is encoded as a standalone sequence distinct from regular kana, typically appended after the relevant mora to indicate elongation without ambiguity.[17]Character Set
The Wabun code character set is built around the 48 basic hiragana mora, organized in the traditional gojūon order to facilitate systematic encoding of Japanese phonetic units. This core set encompasses the standard vowels and consonants, including historical forms such as wi and we, along with n (ん).[18][19] To accommodate voiced and p-sound variations, the set incorporates dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) diacritics applied to more than 20 base mora, enabling representations like ga from ka, za from sa, da from ta, ba from ha, and pa from ha, among others.[20][15] These modifications expand the phonetic coverage without altering the core mora structure. Extended elements include the small tsu (っ), or sokuon, which denotes gemination for consonant lengthening, as in words like kitte (stamp). While the system primarily utilizes katakana forms for transmission—such as ア for a or イ for i—hiragana mora equivalents underpin the phonological basis, with some implementations including yōon (contracted sounds) like kya.[20][2] Punctuation is supported through dedicated symbols, including the Japanese comma (、) and period (。), along with marks like the question mark for interrogative expressions. Numbers from 0 to 9 are encoded as unique sequences, frequently adapted from International Morse code but preceded by a prefix signal to indicate numeric mode and prevent ambiguity with kana.[20][15]Charts
Kana Chart
The Wabun code assigns unique sequences of dots and dashes to the 46 basic hiragana mora, enabling the transmission of Japanese text via telegraphy. These codes were optimized for efficiency, with shorter sequences allocated to more frequent mora in Japanese usage; for instance, the highly common "n" (ん) receives the compact code ----. Historically, charts were presented in Iroha ordering—a traditional sequence derived from a 12th-century poem that encompasses nearly all kana without repetition—to reflect cultural and poetic significance in Japanese writing systems.[8] The following table lists the basic mora in standard gojūon (fifty sounds) order for clarity, with romaji transliteration and Morse code notation (where . represents a dot and - a dash).[2]| Hiragana | Romaji | Wabun Code |
|---|---|---|
| あ | a | .- |
| い | i | .. |
| う | u | ..- |
| え | e | .--- |
| お | o | --- |
| か | ka | -.- |
| き | ki | -.. |
| く | ku | -..- |
| け | ke | -.-- |
| こ | ko | -- |
| さ | sa | .... |
| し | shi | ....- |
| す | su | ...- |
| せ | se | ....-- |
| そ | so | ...-- |
| た | ta | -.... |
| ち | chi | -...- |
| つ | tsu | -..-- |
| て | te | -.--- |
| と | to | --.. |
| な | na | -.--. |
| に | ni | --..- |
| ぬ | nu | ---.. |
| ね | ne | ----. |
| の | no | ----- |
| は | ha | .--.. |
| ひ | hi | .--.- |
| ふ | fu | .--..- |
| へ | he | .---. |
| ほ | ho | .---- |
| ま | ma | ..--. |
| み | mi | ..--- |
| む | mu | ..---- |
| め | me | ...--. |
| も | mo | ...--- |
| や | ya | .-- |
| ゆ | yu | .--. |
| よ | yo | .--.. |
| ら | ra | -.-. |
| り | ri | -.-.- |
| る | ru | -.-.. |
| れ | re | -.--.- |
| ろ | ro | --.- |
| わ | wa | --..- |
| を | wo | ---..- |
| ん | n | ---- |