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Got a Japanese invoice? Or a page from a manga that you want to extract data.

Japanese OCR software can help you digitize Japanese documents. If you wish to translate them using Google or keep them as is, it’s your wish.

But Japanese OCR software can help you extract the characters from a scanned document or an image in an instance. Multiple free and paid OCR software in the market can help you extract text from Japanese documents. The present market provides various products, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. This article aims to comprehensively overview some of the best current OCR products, focusing on Japanese-language products.

Let’s look at 10 Japanese OCR software that can work as a kanji scanner for your next project.


Top 10 Japanese OCR Tools for businesses in 2024

#1. Nanonets [Start your free trial]

Japanese OCR software
Japanese OCR software

Nanonets is an easy-to-use OCR software that supports over 120+ languages, Japanese being one of them. Nanonets can extract information from Japanese documents like invoices, bills, receipts, ID cards, passports, etc. It provides 95% accuracy while extracting information.

You can connect Nanonets with Google Drive, Email, Outlook, CRMs like Salesforce, and 5000+ more apps via Zapier. Nanonets has a free trial option, so start your free account and process your Japanese documents now.

Capterra Rating: 4.9

G2 rating: 4.9

How to use Nanonets as Japanese OCR software?

To use Nanonets Japanese OCR software, you need to follow the following steps:

  • Create a free account on Nanonets and open the software
  • Upload your documents and select the OCR model of your choice
  • Select the document and drag and drop to select the text of your choice
Samples of Japanese Driver's License
Samples of Japanese Driver's License

Driver’s License photo by: https://www.japantimes.co.jp

  • Once you’ve selected all the text, you can download your text in the format of your choice.
Extracting data from a sample Japanese Driver's license
Extracting data from a sample Japanese Driver's license

Pros of using Nanonets:

  • Easy to use
  • Free Trial Version
  • Modern user interface
  • <15 minutes to create a custom model
  • No hidden pricing
  • Store your documents online
  • Create workflows to process documents automatically
  • Works with 120+ languages
  • Easy integrations with Zapier and API
  • 24x7 customer service

Cons of using Nanonets:

  • Cannot convert into different languages
  • Table extraction can be better

Get started with Nanonets' pre-trained OCR models to build your own custom OCR models. You can also schedule a demo to get a free product tour!

Automated data extraction using Nanonets

#2. Easy Screen OCR

Easy Screen Japanese OCR
Source: https://easyscreenocr.com/

Easy Screen OCR is a practical and simple online Kanji text scanner. It is based on Google OCR and has incredibly accurate Japanese image-to-text conversion capabilities.

Unlike rival products, Easy Screen OCR offers compatibility with more than 100 languages and functions as a translator. For example, with tools like Word, you can modify your notes or thesis papers before printing them and digitizing them in any language.

Pros of using Easy Screen OCR:

  • Two Kanji text-recognition modes
  • User-friendly controls
  • Over a hundred languages

Cons of using Easy Screen OCR:

  • Mac users need to pay an excessive price
  • No way to create automated workflows
  • Not a perfect fit for enterprises looking to process a high volume of documents
  • No integrations

#3. i2OCR

i2OCR is a free online Optical Character Recognition (OCR) that allows kanji text to be changed, formatted, indexed, searched, or translated. Nearly all Japanese characters, including hiragana, katakana, and even English letters interspersed in the file, are recognized by i2OCR.

Additionally, no information is overlooked. It can only OCR Japanese picture files, though. Even though it enables exporting files in editable formats like Word, the formatting is severely compromised.

Pros of using i2OCR:

  • Support for more than 60 languages is a plus.
  • Upload an image from a URL or computer
  • Edit in Google Docs or directly translate in Google/Bing

Cons of using i2OCR:

  • Ineffective Kanji text formatting in the output
  • Only allow picture uploads
  • Only enable text extraction from images; to use the text, copy it, and then paste it into your favorite word editor.
  • 75% to 80% OCR accuracy

Get started with Nanonets. Extract data with 95%+ accuracy. Start your free trial today. No credit card is required.

Automated data extraction using Nanonets

FreeOCR

FreeOCR is a free optical character recognition program for Windows that can read most scanned PDF files, multi-page TIFF pictures, and standard image file types. It also supports Japanese text scanning from most Twain scanners. FreeOCR produces plain Kanji text and has an export option for Microsoft Word.

Free OCR uses the most recent Tesseract (v3.01) OCR engine. It is highly user-friendly, comes with a Windows setup, and supports opening multi-page TIFF documents, Adobe PDF files, fax documents, and most picture file formats, including compressed TIFF files that the Tesseract engine alone cannot read.

Tesseract V3, which improves accuracy and provides page layout analysis in FreeOCR V4, is included, allowing for more accurate results without needing the zone selection tool. Along with OCR, FreeOCR can scan photos and save them as JPG files. It is also working on a "Scan to PDF" feature that will allow users to save documents as searchable PDFs.

Pros of using FreeOCR:

  • Good Kanji text extraction is a plus.
  • Supports a variety of languages
  • Free
  • JPG export from the imported file

Cons of using FreeOCR:

  • There is no document creation
  • Only handles a single picture or PDF at a time
  • The formatting has been lost
  • An outdated user interface
  • Be patient when loading files
  • Lack of batch OCR

Automate Japanese document processing with Nanonets. Process 50k+ documents on 10x faster. Upload your documents now. No credit card is required.


Kanji Tomo

Kanji Tomo Japanese OCR software
Kanji Tomo Japanese OCR software

Kanji Tomo is a downloadable desktop version of Japanese OCR software. It has a library of Kanji letters and it helps users identify Japanese form images

Kanji lookup is done when you point the finger to the Japanese text in the image.

Pros of using Kanji Tomo:

  • Easy to use to get characters from the image
  • No fees

Cons of using Kanji Tomo:

  • No way to process a high volume of documents
  • No online version to convert images.
  • PDF documents are not supported.

Yomiwa

Yomiwa app is the ultimate Japanese English dictionary that works on OCR technology. Yomiwa is an android-based offline application that returns the English meaning of the Japanese image text. It extracts the characters, runs them across its dictionary, and gives the English meaning.

Yomiwa Japanese OCR Software
Yomiwa Japanese OCR Software

Pros of using Yomiwa:

  • Can be used to convert Japanese text to the language of your choice
  • Can be used via Android phone

Cons of using Yomiwa:

  • Not a great choice for enterprises
  • No way to extract the information from the app
  • No online platform
  • Cannot automatically process documents

Automate Japanese document processing with Nanonets. Process 50k+ documents on 10x faster. Upload your documents now. No credit card is required.


Foxit PDF Editor

With Foxit PDF Editor, you can edit your PDFs with robust yet straightforward workflows on desktop, mobile, and web - whether at work, home, or on the go. Business professionals can work securely with PDF documents and forms with Foxit PDF Editor, which offers a cost-effective solution. It provides a fully functional platform for viewing, creating, editing, working, sharing, securing, planning, exporting, organizing, and OCRing PDF documents.

For those who need to produce, review, modify, manage, distribute, and protect PDF documents, Foxit PDF Editor is ideal for both solitary users and teams of knowledge workers. Compared to PDF Editor, PDF Editor Pro offers knowledge workers more editing, collaboration, and security features necessary in larger enterprises.

Pros of using Foxit PDF Editor:

  • Permissions and Access Control
  • Autosave
  • Online Storage
  • Notes or annotations
  • Edit or Modify Tracking
  • Producing a clean PDF
  • Rapid size conversion when compressing to smaller sizes

Cons of using Foxit PDF Editor:

  • Text editing with OCR is challenging
  • Slow as compared to other Kanji Scanners
  • Complicated operations
  • More alternatives for page numbers should be added.
  • The navigation is a little tricky.
  • Trial version with restrictions
  • Complex papers typically result in performance lag
  • Prices and plans could be more adaptable.
  • A dull interface
  • A single device could only use a single, one-time pricing activation code.
  • A few of the editing categories appear to overlap.
  • The workflow for signing documents could be streamlined

Parseur

With the help of Parseur, an email parser, and document processing automation tool, data can be automatically extracted from emails, PDFs, CSVs, or Excel files and sent to any app, database, or spreadsheet. With Parseur, you can automate your business and save hundreds of hours of human data entry.

When using Parseur, the text is highlighted to be captured and then converted into a template based on an example email. Once a template has been created, Parseur will automatically extract the data from every identical email.

The most acceptable part of Parseur is that it will choose the optimal template for you if you have more than one available, allowing you to integrate data extraction from several suppliers without any manual effort.

Pros of using Parseur:

  • Rapid setup
  • Bulk Processing
  • ID scans
  • Indexing
  • Extracting metadata
  • Multi-Language
  • Various Output Formats
  • Zone Selection Device

Cons of using Parseur:

  • A lack of explanations for all the features
  • Weak features
  • Parsing hasn't been improved further

Need OCR software for Japanese image-to-text extraction or PDF data extraction? Looking to convert PDF to the table, or PDF to text?

Check out Nanonets in action! No credit card is required.


ThinkAutomation

ThinkAutomation is advertised as an open studio where you can create an automated workflow you can think of without volume restrictions or having to pay for individual processes, licenses, or "robots."

The automation tool separates incoming messages into parts, syncs them to the proper location, and then executes the appropriate follow-up action. ThinkAutomation is intended to reduce the user's workload.

Thousands of processes are possible because of ThinkAutomation's extensive range of integrations and actions. For example, it interacts with databases, CRMs, telephones, online APIs, and mail servers to link systems and automate manual procedures.

Pros of using ThinkAutomation:

Cons of using ThinkAutomation:

  • Unrefined user interface
  • Do not anticipate a rapid setup.
  • Cannot depend on built-in templates
  • Unsuitable Workflow Management

Acrobat Reader DC

Acrobat Reader is a PDF viewer and converter, a free download from Adobe. Users can edit and convert PDF files into file formats, including Excel and Word, and read, sign, collaborate on, and annotate PDF files.

You can use the Acrobat Reader mobile app to work on documents wherever you are. It has every tool you need to edit, convert, and sign PDFs. For example, a receipt, whiteboard, or another object can be photographed using your device's camera and saved as a PDF.

Pros of using Acrobat Reader DC:

  • The ability to study and annotate documents is advantageous
  • Produces a file that can be opened on a PC, a Mac, or a mobile device
  • Records electronic signatures and forms
  • Opens very quickly
  • Excellent usage of bookmarked pages
  • Simple page-to-page navigation
  • Zooming in and out is fluid
  • Easy file saving

Cons of using Acrobat Reader DC:

  • It would be fantastic to include some basic document/file editing features for free
  • When any photographs or media are present, files are frequently too huge.
  • It's too difficult to create an accessible file
  • It can be challenging to get used to the layout and tools
  • Word documents created from PDFs can be enhanced
  • Costly prices
  • Regular updates with spam notifications
  • Several features cannot be accessed without purchasing more costly versions
  • Not user friendly
  • Doesn't work perfectly for Japanese image to text conversion

Start using Nanonets for Japanese data extraction. Try out the various OCR models or request a demo today. Find out how Nanonets' use cases can apply to your product.


Which is the best Japanese OCR tool?

Out of the above-mentioned Japanese OCR tools, every software has its benefits and outcomings. We request users check out the platforms. Based on our experience, here are the best Japanese OCR tools by requirement:

  • Best Japanese Online OCR tool: Nanonets
  • Best Japanese OCR tool for Android: Yomiwa App
  • Best Japanese OCR tool for Companies: Nanonets
  • Best Japanese Offline OCR tool: KanjiTomo

The accuracy of all the Japanese OCR tools varies by document quality and the OCR models. In the case of Nanonets, Nanonets OCR models evolve with time.

There are many other great tools, like Power Automate, Docsumo, Kofax, Veryfi, and Aws Textract (PyPDF2).

Read more: The Top 3 OCR Kofax Alternatives


Nanonets online OCR & OCR API have many interesting use cases that could optimize your business performance, save costs, and boost growth. Find out how Nanonets' use cases can apply to your product.


Read more to find the best tools:

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3 Ways to Rearrange PDF pages

Edit PDF metadata in 5 simple steps with Nanonets

15 January 2024: The blog was updated on 15 January 2024. The blog was originally published on 17 July 2022.