NINE-SQUARE JAPANESE INPUT METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a 9-square Japanese input method for inputting KANA (Japanese syllabary) characters directly to a portable telephone. SOLUTION: Numeric keys in three rows in three columns of a portable telephone are used, and the 10 characters of the 'a' column of Japanese are allocated as initial letter interfaces to 3×3+1 keys and KANA characters of each row are allocated as 1st and 2nd auxiliary characters interfaces to 9 keys. Those interfaces are all set in the portable telephone in advance. For input, the 10 initial letter interfaces are used as normally installed interfaces and when the key of the initial letter of a target character present line is inputted, the interfaces are changed into principal letter interfaces of respective lines and corresponding auxiliary letterer interfaces, so that a target KANA character can immediately be selected.