KanaLock

Lightweight Windows tray app that locks Japanese IME mode.

Run From Command Line

Run from source (development)

1. Create and activate a virtual environment.
2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run:

python src\app.py

Run built portable EXE

Build first (see below), then run:

.\dist\KanaLock.exe

Note: the repo does not include dist\KanaLock.exe; you build it locally.

Tray Menu

• Kana Lock: keeps Japanese IME in kana mode
• Direct Input: switches IME to direct input
• More... > Auto-Start: toggles Start with Windows (per-user startup shortcut)
• More... > About...: app info, repo link, and license note
• Exit: closes KanaLock

How It Works

• Watches foreground/focus changes and reapplies the selected IME mode.
• Uses both TSF and IMM32 enforcement paths for compatibility.
• Runs a lightweight background enforcement loop to keep mode consistent.
• Supports single-instance replacement: launching KanaLock again replaces the currently running instance.

Build Portable EXE (From Source)

1. Create and activate a virtual environment.
2. Run:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\build_exe.ps1

Output:

• dist\KanaLock.exe