What is manuscript paper?

Genkou youshi is Japanese writing paper with a grid of squares, traditionally 400 per sheet (20×20), used for essays and compositions.

The standard sheet is a 20 by 20 grid, giving 400 squares — one character per square. A 200-square format is also common.

Yes. On manuscript paper each space occupies a square, so spaces are included in the sheet total. The no-spaces count is shown separately.

Does it work for English?

It counts characters either way, so you can use it for any language, though manuscript sheets are a Japanese convention.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. All counting happens locally in your browser.

Manuscript Paper Counter

Your text

Sheet size

Sheets

Chars (with spaces)

Chars (no spaces)

Line breaks

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See how many Japanese manuscript sheets (genkou youshi) your writing fills — by default 400 characters per sheet, or 200. It also shows character counts with and without spaces. Useful for essays and compositions. Everything runs in your browser.

How to use

Paste your text into the box.
Choose the sheet size: 400 or 200 characters.
Read the number of sheets and the character counts.

How it works

A traditional Japanese manuscript sheet (genkou youshi) holds 400 characters (a 20 by 20 grid); a smaller format holds 200. The counter takes your character count (excluding line breaks, since each square is one character) and divides by the sheet size, rounding up to whole sheets. Spaces count as squares, so they are included in the sheet total.

Features

Sheet count

Converts your text length into whole manuscript sheets.

400 or 200

Switch between the two common sheet sizes.

Character counts

Shows characters with and without spaces, plus line breaks.

Instant

Counts update live as you type or paste.

When to use it

Essays

Check how many sheets a school essay will fill.

Reports

Plan a report against a sheet-count requirement.

Submissions

Confirm a contest or assignment length limit.

Progress

Track how close you are to a target number of sheets.

Notes

Line breaks are excluded from the sheet calculation.
Spaces are counted as squares, like on real manuscript paper.
Actual layout rules (such as line wrapping) may shift the real count slightly.
Everything runs on your device; nothing is uploaded.

FAQ

What is manuscript paper?: Genkou youshi is Japanese writing paper with a grid of squares, traditionally 400 per sheet (20×20), used for essays and compositions.
Why 400 characters?: The standard sheet is a 20 by 20 grid, giving 400 squares — one character per square. A 200-square format is also common.
Do spaces count?: Yes. On manuscript paper each space occupies a square, so spaces are included in the sheet total. The no-spaces count is shown separately.
Does it work for English?: It counts characters either way, so you can use it for any language, though manuscript sheets are a Japanese convention.
Is my text sent to a server?: No. All counting happens locally in your browser.