japanize-matplotlib

What it is and what it does

japanize-matplotlib is a thin wrapper that configures matplotlib to render Japanese text by setting the default font to IPAexGothic. It works by importing a module that patches matplotlib's font configuration on load, eliminating the need to manually set font properties in every script.

The package bundles the IPAexGothic font (Ver.003.01) and applies it globally to matplotlib. It has no runtime dependencies beyond matplotlib itself, but its effectiveness depends on import order—other libraries that reconfigure matplotlib's fonts can override its settings, requiring either explicit re-japanization via japanize_matplotlib.japanize() or careful import sequencing.

Use it for:

• Creating matplotlib plots with Japanese axis labels, titles, and annotations without manual font configuration.
• Data visualization in Japanese-language notebooks or scripts where matplotlib is the primary plotting library.
• Automating font setup in Jupyter notebooks or data analysis pipelines to avoid repetitive font-setting boilerplate.
• Prototyping visualizations quickly without researching or configuring CJK font support in matplotlib.
• Ensuring consistent Japanese rendering across multiple plots in a single analysis workflow.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Enables matplotlib to display Japanese text in plots by automatically configuring font settings to use IPAexGothic font.

Yes, if you need to display Japanese text in matplotlib plots and want to avoid manual font configuration. The permissive MIT License and zero runtime dependencies make installation straightforward. However, the package is dormant (last release 2020-10-21) and may have compatibility issues with recent matplotlib versions—test it in your environment first. Be aware of import-order gotchas with other font-setting libraries.

Install

japanize-matplotlib on PyPI

pip install japanize-matplotlib

uv add japanize-matplotlib

poetry add japanize-matplotlib

Installing japanize-matplotlib

Before you install

High install friction due to bundled font assets. Package is dormant—last release was 2020-10-21, though the repository remains active with occasional commits. No runtime dependencies, but font configuration may conflict with other matplotlib font settings.

License in practice

MIT License permits free use, modification, and distribution. Package bundles IPAexGothic font (Ver.003.01) under IPA Font License v1.0; users must accept that license separately when installing.

Quickstart

pip install japanize-matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import japanize_matplotlib

plt.plot([1, 2, 3, 4])
plt.xlabel('簡単なグラフ')
plt.show()

Font configuration may be overwritten by other libraries; japanize_matplotlib must be imported after matplotlib but before other font-setting calls, or japanize_matplotlib.japanize() must be called after those overrides.

Verify before relying

• Whether the package works with current matplotlib versions (last released 2020-10-21)
• Compatibility with modern Python versions (requires_python field is empty)
• Whether bundled IPA font is properly installed on all platforms

Package facts

Evidence: japanize-matplotlib-1.1.3.tar.gz

Tags

More Graphics packages