Wabun code

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 the Japanese language in kana characters. Unlike International Morse Code, which represents letters of the Latin script, in Wabun each symbol represents a Japanese kana. For this reason, Wabun code is also sometimes called Kana code.

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

Kana in Iroha order.

Mora	Code	ITU		Mora	Code	ITU		Mora	Code	ITU		Mora	Code	ITU
い   i	▄ ▄▄▄	A		わ   wa	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄	K		ゐ   wi	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄			さ   sa	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄
ろ   ro	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄			か   ka	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄	L		の   no	▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄			き   ki	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄
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	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄			ま   ma	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄	X		し   shi	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄
と   to	▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄	É		つ   tsu	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	P		け   ke	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄	Y		ゑ   we	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄
ち   chi	▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	F		ね   ne	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄	Q		ふ   fu	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄	Z		ひ   hi	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄
り   ri	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	G		な   na	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	R		こ   ko	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄			も   mo	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	/
ぬ   nu	▄ ▄ ▄ ▄	H		ら   ra	▄ ▄ ▄	S		え   e	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄			せ   se	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄
る   ru	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	(		む   mu	▄▄▄	T		て   te	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄			す   su	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄
を   wo	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄	J		う   u	▄ ▄ ▄▄▄	U		あ   a	▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄			ん   n	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	+

Punctuation		Code	ITU
◌゛	Dakuten	▄ ▄	I
◌゜	Handakuten	▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄
ー	Chōonpu	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄
、	Comma	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄	.
。	Full stop	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄
(	Left parenthesis	▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄▄▄	)
)	Right parenthesis	▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄	"

Expanded chart

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See also

• Tap code

References

External links

• CW Wabun
• Japanese Code Wabun Morse
• The Silent War Against the Japanese Navy
• Code Breaking in the Pacific
• Katakana Man, The Most Secret of all Allied Operations in World War II in the Pacific