1. Install The Japanese Language Input
    1. Open your “System Settings”
    2. From there, select and open “Language Support”
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    3. Click the “Install/Remove Languages…” button found within Language Support.
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    4. Then, select “Japanese”, and ensure the proper checkboxes are checked.
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  2. Next, logout (or reboot, whichever you prefer).
  3. After logging in, open “System Settings” and then open “Text Input” from there.
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    1. A Quick Side-Note: If you’re familiar with the Windows shortcut for switching languages, I would suggest changing it to the Alt+Shift L (left shift) as displayed in the screenshot below.
      As for the shortcut for switching between Hiragana and Katakana, my advice is to simply type in Hiragana, then press the F7 Key.
      This will convert the Hiragana you entered into Katakana easily (for Windows or Linux).Actual Step: The next step however, is to simply click the + symbol to add a new language input.
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    2. A list of languages will appear, select the option “Japanese (Anthy)” and click the Add button.
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    3. From there you should be ready to go!