[MCPE-242673] Increased Character Spacing for Japanese Text in Unicode Fonts

Since Minecraft Preview v26.60.22, the spacing between Japanese characters rendered using Unicode fonts has become noticeably wider. This significantly reduces readability and can negatively affect existing content.

The issue is particularly noticeable on signs, especially on the mobile version.

For example, signs that previously displayed correctly may now have Japanese text extending beyond the available space because the increased character width causes the text to take up more room. As a result, text may wrap at unexpected positions or become partially cut off.

This could have a significant impact on existing worlds and content that were created using the previous character spacing.

Please restore the Japanese character spacing to its previous behavior. If reverting the spacing globally is not possible, please consider providing a way to restore the original spacing through a resource pack or another supported method.

Expected Result

Japanese Unicode characters are displayed with their original, compact spacing, without unnecessary extra space between characters.

Actual Result

Japanese Unicode characters are displayed with excessive spacing, causing them to occupy more horizontal space than before.

Impact

This issue can affect the appearance and layout of existing worlds, particularly signs and other UI elements where text has limited space.

Attachments

Comments 20

Automation for Jira 2026-09-17T12:09:28Z

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Jake Sinker 2026-09-20T04:18:59Z

I think there's a very high possibility of official specification changes. The original Minecraft Unicode font is currently in effect, so there are no issues. Because that was the case all the way up to around 0.14. So I think the official has finally been revised. That's why I can confidently say it's definitely not a bug.

Dunny Waster 2026-09-20T04:32:35Z

Hmm. This could be an official specification change. Because the older version was originally like this. I think I've made corrections now.

Deity Valton 2026-09-20T07:09:41Z

I think it's technically difficult to make any further changes due to the official specification changes. I also like the current font.

User1648 2026-09-20T07:52:35Z

The Unicode font that is applied specifically when using the Japanese language setting causes several practical issues for Japanese users.

For example, some symbols are not displayed correctly, certain custom emojis fail to load, and UI layouts can become inconsistent because the Japanese font differs from the font used in English. These issues can negatively affect readability and the overall game experience.

I initially thought the previous font change was intended to address some of these long-standing problems, so it was disappointing to see it reverted so quickly.

I hope the previous behavior can be reconsidered, or that Japanese users can at least be given a supported option to use the same font behavior as other languages.

10 more comments

Alan James 2026-09-20T23:27:23Z

This is as written in the official patch notes, and it's not a bug. Previously, Japanese Unicode was very difficult to read, so it's very easy to read now. Since it's an official specification, there won't be any further changes.

Tara Ross 2026-09-21T04:17:16Z

There are no issues with the specification changes as stated in the official patch notes. I think it's easier to read now.

Beens David 2026-09-21T07:11:47Z

The changes are correct as stated in the official statement. In the first place, Unicode in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese is very old, so when versions overlap, they tend to crash because they can't keep up with the font processing. That's probably why they made these specification changes to prevent that. The current fonts are incredibly well-performing. Because the previous font was prone to crashing. So I don't think this is a bug.

D4DJTohou20 2026-09-22T23:02:35Z

All Japanese people have criticized that the font this time is difficult to see, and it is on fire. This change is wrong. A quick response is required.

GodSilver779 2026-09-23T04:16:09Z

Some Japanese users are showing interest, and the official specification changes are likely to be well-received. If we had to restore it, we would have made these changes because there have been serious issues in the past where crashes occur repeatedly, as before. This is not a bug.

HunkerVision 2026-09-23T04:36:10Z

This is an official specification. If you go back to the previous font, another serious bug will likely cause it. It's a change to address that.

SnapRevier3727 2026-09-23T04:43:41Z

No, it's exactly the same specifications as the official description. If this hadn't happened, it would have caused issues like crashes by now. There will likely be no further changes.

D4DJTohou20 2026-09-25T08:58:57Z

The impact of this font causes lag in gameplay and has a negative impact such as crashes, so it is necessary to change to a lightweight Kakukaku font.

Kaibi Minder 2026-09-25T22:34:58Z

No, the previous font was unstable in the first place, so the official probably fixed it like this. If we revert to the original state, it would have a negative impact…

Vector Scot 2026-09-25T22:49:13Z

This is a list of specifications! The previous version was the same, and they've finally reverted to its original state. The previous font was difficult to see and unstable.

D4DJTohou20 2026-09-26T02:24:06Z

This is a bug and unstable. Please don't make any more critical comments. All Japanese people say that this is not a place to criticize.

Guild Banner 2026-10-05T22:57:24Z

This may be a specification change to match the Java version's font.

King Disper 2026-10-05T23:01:40Z

It's questionable whether this can be considered a bug. Originally, the fonts of Java and Bedrock were as different as asymmetrical, so this is definitely the correct specification change.

Frost G Valoner 2026-10-05T23:05:32Z

This is definitely the official specifications listed below. Some Java Edition users are also popular, and light users should be able to accept the specifications.

D4DJTohou20 2026-10-07T13:07:31Z

You need a setting that allows you to change the font yourself. Please refrain from making critical comments.