Quote Originally Posted by Xilk View Post
please stop repeating this silly and false explanation. Any developer can use the microsoft IME. it is available by default in all current versions of windows. One does not need any special licensing to use this. the license agreement for the ms ime is between MS and the end user, not the developer.
PS2 version uses the ATOK IME. SE wants the console version to have the same capability as the PC version, or vice versa, so they don't let the game use the Microsoft IME in regions that the console version doesn't have an IME. An ATOK license is about $60 per user, and accidentally triggering it would generate a lot of tech support calls from people that don't know how to use it, or the keystrokes to toggle it.

Hiragana is one of the three forms of Japanese text. You can type Roman letters on JP FFXI, but can't type Japanese text on non-Japanese FFXI.

We petitioned for it in 2003 at NA FFXI launch.and some SE employees explained it on FFXIOnline.com shortly afterward. Johnnyram started the petition.