Build Custom Genkou Yoshi Manuscript Paper and Export to PDF
When you need to write a Japanese essay, story, or school report by hand, genkou yoshi gives you a clean cell grid that makes character count automatic and keeps every stroke aligned. Lineum lets you set the column count and cells per column — from the standard 20 × 20 (400 characters per page) down to larger cells for young writers or calligraphy practice. Switch between vertical writing (top-to-bottom, right-to-left) and horizontal writing, adjust the ruby gutter width to leave room for furigana, and toggle the center divider line on or off. No account needed — configure your layout and export a print-ready PDF instantly.
Use cases
- Writing out school essays and book reports. Use the default 20 × 20 (400-character) setting straight away, turn on the title section for a name and assignment header, and the page is ready to hand in.
- Hand-writing stories and creative manuscripts. Export several pages at once in vertical layout, then staple or bind the top edge and you have a manuscript booklet close to a commercial pad — handy when you want to track your character count as you write.
- Japanese composition practice and essay contests. Reduce the column count for larger cells that elementary students can write in more comfortably, and widen the ruby gutter for space to add furigana or teacher corrections.
- Brush calligraphy and vertical penmanship drills. Use fewer columns and rows for large cells with plenty of room for a brush. Printing several pages at once and binding them makes a ready-made practice drill for stroke order and vertical alignment.
Tips
- The default is 20 columns × 20 rows (400 cells) in vertical writing — the standard layout used in school composition assignments.
- Cut the column count to 10–15 for larger cells that suit younger writers or brush calligraphy.
- In vertical mode (genkouVertical = true), columns run right to left. Turning it off switches to horizontal, left-to-right rows.
- Widen the ruby gutter (genkouRubyGutter) to leave a slender strip between columns where you can write furigana or margin corrections.
- Turn on the title section to add a header field for a name or assignment title — useful for any submitted piece of writing.
FAQ
- What is genkou yoshi?
- Genkou yoshi (原稿用紙) is a traditional Japanese writing grid where each small square holds one character. The standard format is 20 columns × 20 rows for 400 characters per page. It is used for school compositions, essays, literary manuscripts, and any handwritten Japanese text where character count matters.
- Can I use the standard 20 × 20, 400-character layout?
- Yes. The defaults are already set to 20 columns × 20 rows, so pressing PDF export immediately gives you a standard 400-character manuscript page.
- Can I switch to horizontal writing?
- Horizontal genkou yoshi arranges the cells row-first, left to right, instead of the traditional vertical (right-to-left, column-first) order. In this tool, turn off the vertical writing option and the grid switches to a horizontal, left-to-right layout.
- Is there room to write furigana?
- Yes. Increasing the ruby gutter ratio adds a narrow strip between each column to write furigana or small correction notes alongside the main characters.
- Can I export several pages at once?
- Yes. Set the page count before exporting and all pages are bundled into a single multi-page PDF.