What are IDN Domains? (International Domain Names)

An IDN or International Domain name is a domain name that can be represented by a users native language. When most people think of internet domain names they automatically assume it should be an English based domain. The fact is that English based alphabet is not the easiest way to remember a web site’s URL for every potential user in every country.

This is where IDNs come into play. an IDN allows an individual to purchase a website name exactly the way they would write the name in their native language. Since my other language is Japanese I will use Japan mostly in my examples.

The average Japanese user has studied some English but it is not a given that they can look at a domain name in English & remember it, or figure out what it is supposed to be. When a non Japanese person studies a language like Japanese initially we are given a guide to pronounce the word with English text. Japanese have absolutely no use for writing Japanese words with English letters unless it may possibly be a place, city, or town. It’s a fact if you ask a Japanese person who can’t speak English to even spell their name with English letters it actually takes some time for them because they are only used to explaining the Japanese characters for their name.

With an IDN instead of having a domain name like:
geinokai.com (which is a translation for celebrities)
A use can just have 芸能界.com
One big advantage is the term geinokai can be written
geinokai or geinoukai with English letters & both are actually correct for nonJapanese who might write it after hearing the dot com name most Japanese are confused on how to write it with English letters.

Having the native Japanese characters (IDN domain) just simplifies everything for the Japanese user. Also it is absolutely simple for the average Japanese person to remember the IDN URL. People outside of Japan will think of these domain names as foreign domains but they will become the standard in Japan in a few years.