Display Japanese Characters in Java

If you are having problems with Java displaying Japanese characters in it's default font mode (e.g. in common dialogue boxes), you need to update the java fontconfig.properties file. This needs to sit in the lib directory of your java runtime environment. This is particularly important if you've downloaded a new version of java from sun as it wont come with the customised Ubuntu version. Also, even the one in the repos points to Sazanami which isn't always present (especially on Kubuntu systems).

So use this as your (your jre dir)/lib/fontconfig.properties. It points to Kochi which is a better looking font and should definitely be on your system.

# MODIFIED FOR JAPANESE VERSION
#
# fontconfig.properties for Debian/Ubuntu, derived from linux.fontconfig.RedHat.9.0.properties
#

# @(#)linux.fontconfig.RedHat.9.0.properties    1.6 03/11/14
#
# Copyright 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
#

# Version

version=1

# Component Font Mappings

allfonts.chinese-gb18030=-misc-ar pl shanheisun uni-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-p-*-iso10646-1
allfonts.chinese-gb18030.motif=-misc-ar pl shanheisun uni-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-p-*-iso10646-1
allfonts.chinese-big5=-misc-ar pl shanheisun uni-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-p-*-iso10646-1
allfonts.chinese-big5.motif=-misc-ar pl shanheisun uni-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-p-*-iso10646-1
allfonts.lucida=-b&h-lucidasans-medium-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

serif.plain.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.plain.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
serif.plain.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.plain.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
serif.plain.latin-1=-b&h-lucidabright-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
serif.plain.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi serif-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

serif.bold.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.bold.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
serif.bold.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.bold.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
serif.bold.latin-1=-b&h-lucidabright-demibold-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
serif.bold.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi serif-bold-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

serif.italic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.italic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
serif.italic.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.italic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
serif.italic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidabright-medium-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
serif.italic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi serif-medium-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

serif.bolditalic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.bolditalic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
serif.bolditalic.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
serif.bolditalic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
serif.bolditalic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidabright-demibold-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
serif.bolditalic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi serif-bold-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

sansserif.plain.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.plain.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
sansserif.plain.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.plain.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
sansserif.plain.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-medium-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
sansserif.plain.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

sansseric.bold.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.bold.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
sansserif.bold.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.bold.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
sansserif.bold.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-bold-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
sansserif.bold.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-bold-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

sansserif.italic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.italic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
sansserif.italic.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.italic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
sansserif.italic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-medium-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
sansserif.italic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-medium-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

sansserif.bolditalic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.bolditalic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
sansserif.bolditalic.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
sansserif.bolditalic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
sansserif.bolditalic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-bold-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
sansserif.bolditalic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-bold-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

monospaces.plain.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.plain.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
monospaced.plain.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.plain.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
monospaced.plain.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
monospaced.plain.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

monospaced.bold.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.bold.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
monospaced.bold.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.bold.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
monospaced.bold.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-bold-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
monospaced.bold.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-bold-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

monospaced.italic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.italic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
monospaced.italic.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.italic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
monospaced.italic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
monospaced.italic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-medium-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

monospaced.bolditalic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.bolditalic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
monospaced.bolditalic.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
monospaced.bolditalic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
monospaced.bolditalic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-bold-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
monospaced.bolditalic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-bold-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

dialog.plain.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.plain.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialog.plain.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.plain.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialog.plain.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-medium-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
dialog.plain.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

dialog.bold.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.bold.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialog.bold.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.bold.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialog.bold.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-bold-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
dialog.bold.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-bold-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

dialog.italic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.italic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialog.italic.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.italic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialog.italic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-medium-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
dialog.italic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-medium-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

dialog.bolditalic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.bolditalic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialog.bolditalic.korean=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialog.bolditalic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialog.bolditalic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidasans-bold-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
dialog.bolditalic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi sans-bold-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

dialoginput.plain.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.plain.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialoginput.plain.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.plain.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialoginput.plain.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
dialoginput.plain.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

dialofinput.bold.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.bold.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialoginput.bold.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.bold.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialoginput.bold.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-bold-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
dialoginput.bold.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-bold-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

dialoginput.italic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.italic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialoginput.italic.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.italic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialoginput.italic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-medium-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
dialoginput.italic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-medium-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

dialoginput.bolditalic.japanese-iso10646=-misc-kochi mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.bolditalic.japanese-x0208=-misc-sazanami mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0
dialoginput.bolditalic.korean=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1
dialoginput.bolditalic.korean.motif=-misc-baekmuk batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-ksc5601.1987-0
dialoginput.bolditalic.latin-1=-b&h-lucidatypewriter-bold-i-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1
dialoginput.bolditalic.latin-1.motif=-b&h-luxi mono-bold-i-normal--*-%d-*-*-m-*-iso8859-1

# Search Sequences

sequence.allfonts=latin-1,japanese-iso10646
sequence.allfonts.UTF-8=latin-1,japanese-iso10646,japanese-x0201,chinese-gb18030
sequence.allfonts.Big5=latin-1,chinese-big5
sequence.allfonts.GB2312=latin-1,chinese-gb18030
sequence.allfonts.x-euc-jp-linux=latin-1,japanese-iso10646,japanese-x0208
sequence.allfonts.UTF-8.ja.JP=latin-1,japanese-iso10646,japanese-x0208,japanese-x0201,chinese-iso10646
sequence.allfonts.EUC-KR=latin-1,korean
sequence.allfonts.GB18030=latin-1,chinese-gb18030
sequence.fallback=lucida,japanese-iso10646,chinese-big5,chinese-gb18030,japanese-x0208,korean

# Exclusion Ranges

exclusion.japanese-x0208=0390-03d6,2200-22ef,2701-27be

# Font File Names

filename.-misc-ar_pl_shanheisun_uni-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-p-*-iso10646-1=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/arphic/uming.ttf
filename.-misc-baekmuk_batang-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/batang.ttf
filename.-misc-baekmuk_gulim-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/gulim.ttf
filename.-misc-kochi_gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/kochi/kochi-gothic-subst.ttf
filename.-misc-kochi_mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-iso10646-1=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/kochi/kochi-mincho-subst.ttf
filename.-misc-sazanami_gothic-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/sazanami/sazanami-gothic.ttf
filename.-misc-sazanami_mincho-medium-r-normal--*-%d-*-*-c-*-jisx0208.1983-0=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/sazanami/sazanami-mincho.ttf

# AWT X11 font paths
awtfontpath.latin-1=/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1
awtfontpath.chinese-gb18030=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/arphic
awtfontpath.japanese-iso10646=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/kochi
awtfontpath.japanese-x0208=/usr/share/fonts/truetype/sazanami
#awtfontpath.korean=/usr/share/fonts/ko/TrueType

For inpormation of installing Japanese input, including for Java applications, please see:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installing_Japanese_Input_and_Fonts