noun
Nihon-shiki romanization
A romanization system for Japanese that strictly follows kana spelling, unlike Hepburn which reflects pronunciation. Used mainly in linguistic contexts and by some native speakers.
日本式ローマ字では「ち」を「ti」と書く。
In Nihon-shiki romanization, 'chi' is written as 'ti'.
Hepburn romanization is based on English pronunciation and is more common in signs and passports. Nihon-shiki is more systematic for Japanese phonology.
Kunrei-shiki is a modified version of Nihon-shiki, standardized by the Japanese government. They are very similar but differ in a few kana representations.
Compound of 日本式 (Nihon-shiki, 'Japanese-style') and ローマ字 (rōmaji, 'Roman letters'). The system was devised by physicist Aikitsu Tanakadate in 1885.