diff --git a/default/input-methods/indicator.py b/default/input-methods/indicator.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95e022f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default/input-methods/indicator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+"""Live Fcitx state for the existing keyboard layout widget."""
+
+import json
+import sys
+
+from gi.repository import Gio, GLib
+
+
+BUS = "org.fcitx.Fcitx5"
+INTERFACE = "org.fcitx.Fcitx.Controller1"
+
+
+def call(bus, method, args=None):
+  # Reading the bar must neither activate a stopped service nor wait indefinitely.
+  return bus.call_sync(BUS, "/controller", INTERFACE, method, args, None,
+                       Gio.DBusCallFlags.NO_AUTO_START, 1000, None).unpack()
+
+
+def snapshot(bus):
+  group = call(bus, "CurrentInputMethodGroup")[0]
+  methods = list(dict.fromkeys(item[0] for item in
+                              call(bus, "InputMethodGroupInfo", GLib.Variant("(s)", (group,)))[1]))
+  info = call(bus, "CurrentInputMethodInfo")
+  return {"methods": methods, "current": info[0], "name": info[1], "label": info[4], "language": info[5]}
+
+
+def cycle(bus):
+  state = snapshot(bus)
+  methods = state["methods"]
+  if len(methods) > 1 and state["current"] in methods:
+    following = methods[(methods.index(state["current"]) + 1) % len(methods)]
+    call(bus, "SetCurrentIM", GLib.Variant("(s)", (following,)))
+
+
+def watch(bus):
+  previous = None
+
+  def refresh():
+    nonlocal previous
+    try:
+      state = snapshot(bus)
+    except GLib.Error:
+      state = {"methods": [], "current": "", "name": "", "language": ""}
+    line = json.dumps(state, ensure_ascii=False)
+    if line != previous:
+      print(line, flush=True)
+      previous = line
+    return GLib.SOURCE_CONTINUE
+
+  # Fcitx's controller has no current-method-changed signal. Keep one bus
+  # connection open instead of spawning a command on every poll. Polling also
+  # follows per-application input contexts and recovers after service restarts.
+  refresh()
+  GLib.timeout_add(500, refresh)
+  GLib.MainLoop().run()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  try:
+    bus = Gio.bus_get_sync(Gio.BusType.SESSION, None)
+    if sys.argv[1:] == ["cycle"]:
+      cycle(bus)
+    else:
+      watch(bus)
+  except GLib.Error as error:
+    raise SystemExit(str(error))
diff --git a/install/user/first-run/welcome.sh b/install/user/first-run/welcome.sh
index 22e6629e..f345f32e 100644
--- a/install/user/first-run/welcome.sh
+++ b/install/user/first-run/welcome.sh
@@ -3,3 +3,8 @@
 omarchy-notification-send -u critical -g  "Learn Keybindings" \
   $'Super + K for cheatsheet.\nSuper + Space for Omarchy Menu.' \
   --exec omarchy-menu-keybindings
+
+if [[ $(omarchy-input-method status | jq -r .installed_method) == "mozc" ]]; then
+  omarchy-notification-send -u critical "Japanese input is ready" \
+    $'Click the keyboard indicator in the bar to switch input.\nType nihongo, then press Space twice for character choices.'
+fi
diff --git a/manual/34-keyboard-mouse-trackpad.md b/manual/34-keyboard-mouse-trackpad.md
index 202f46ad..0dd32753 100644
--- a/manual/34-keyboard-mouse-trackpad.md
+++ b/manual/34-keyboard-mouse-trackpad.md
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ Select Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified, Pinyin), or Chinese (Traditional,
 
 Typing starts in Latin mode. Press `Ctrl + Shift + Space` to switch input on or off. On Japanese keyboards, 全角/半角 toggles input, 変換 turns it on, and 無変換 turns it off. On a Korean keyboard layout, dedicated 한/영 and 한자 keys switch Hangul and convert to Hanja. `Ctrl + Space` stays available for Tmux and Herdr; CapsLock stays the compose key.
 
+The keyboard indicator in the menu bar appears for non-English keyboards and whenever you have multiple layouts or input modes. Click it to switch input languages; Japanese displays あ for hiragana. With only one input mode, clicking opens input language setup. For Japanese character choices, switch to Japanese, type a word such as `nihongo`, then press Space twice. Press Enter to accept your choice. If you also have multiple keyboard layouts, right-click the indicator to cycle those.
+
 To add another language later, use _Setup > Input Language_ or run `omarchy setup input` (or `omarchy setup input mozc`, `hangul`, `pinyin`, or `chewing`). Your existing input methods and custom switching keys are preserved. For alternative engine layouts or keys, install `fcitx5-configtool` with `omarchy pkg add fcitx5-configtool` and launch it from a terminal. Selecting an input language does not change the desktop language.
 
 On keyboards without dedicated input keys, use `Ctrl + Shift + Space`. This input shortcut takes precedence over app shortcuts such as code completion; you can change it in `fcitx5-configtool`. Tapping Shift alone is not an input switch: Omarchy uses both Shift keys for CapsLock, which changes how input methods see Shift release. Input engines and the CapsLock compose sequences use the [Fcitx5](https://fcitx-im.org/) service already running in every session.
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.manifest.json b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.manifest.json
index cc5ad783..2b161dc6 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.manifest.json
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.manifest.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   "name": "Keyboard layout",
   "version": "1.0.0",
   "author": "Omarchy",
-  "description": "Current xkb layout, click cycles",
+  "description": "Current keyboard layout and input language, click cycles",
   "kinds": [
     "bar-widget"
   ],
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   },
   "barWidget": {
     "displayName": "Keyboard layout",
-    "description": "Current xkb layout, click cycles",
+    "description": "Current keyboard layout and input language, click cycles",
     "category": "Compositor",
     "allowMultiple": false
   },
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.qml b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.qml
index 6c3e7206..82d77c46 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayout.qml
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ BarWidget {
   // xkb's own table rather than maintained by hand.
   property var layoutBriefs: ({})
   readonly property string layoutLabel: KeyboardLayoutModel.shortLabel(layoutFull, layoutBriefs)
+  property var inputState: ({})
+  readonly property bool multipleInputs: (inputState.methods || []).length > 1
+  readonly property string inputLabel: KeyboardLayoutModel.inputLabel(inputState, layoutLabel)
 
   // A query already in flight was started before this event, so it may read the
   // layout the switch replaced. Remember the request and re-run once it lands
@@ -228,7 +231,40 @@ BarWidget {
     onTriggered: root.refresh()
   }
 
-  visible: layoutLabel !== "" && multipleLayouts
+  Process {
+    id: inputWatcher
+    command: ["/usr/bin/python", Quickshell.env("OMARCHY_PATH") + "/default/input-methods/indicator.py"]
+    running: true
+    stdout: SplitParser {
+      onRead: data => {
+        try { root.inputState = JSON.parse(data) } catch (e) {}
+      }
+    }
+    onExited: {
+      root.inputState = ({})
+      inputRestart.restart()
+    }
+  }
+
+  Timer {
+    id: inputRestart
+    interval: 5000
+    onTriggered: inputWatcher.running = true
+  }
+
+  Process {
+    id: inputCycle
+    property int pending: 0
+    command: ["/usr/bin/python", Quickshell.env("OMARCHY_PATH") + "/default/input-methods/indicator.py", "cycle"]
+    onExited: {
+      if (pending > 0) {
+        pending--
+        running = true
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  visible: inputLabel !== "" && KeyboardLayoutModel.showIndicator(layoutLabel, multipleLayouts, multipleInputs)
   implicitWidth: button.implicitWidth
   implicitHeight: button.implicitHeight
 
@@ -236,10 +272,19 @@ BarWidget {
     id: button
     anchors.fill: parent
     bar: root.bar
-    text: root.layoutLabel
+    text: root.inputLabel
     fontSize: Style.font.caption
     horizontalMargin: 6
-    tooltipText: root.layoutFull
-    onPressed: function() { root.cycleLayout() }
+    tooltipText: KeyboardLayoutModel.inputTooltip(root.inputState, root.layoutFull, root.multipleLayouts)
+    onPressed: function(button) {
+      if (root.multipleInputs && button === Qt.LeftButton) {
+        if (inputCycle.running) inputCycle.pending++
+        else inputCycle.running = true
+      } else if (root.multipleLayouts) {
+        root.cycleLayout()
+      } else if (!root.multipleInputs && root.bar) {
+        root.bar.run("omarchy-launch-floating-terminal-with-presentation 'omarchy-setup-input'")
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayoutModel.js b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayoutModel.js
index f46ee555..69ece973 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayoutModel.js
+++ b/shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayoutModel.js
@@ -110,6 +110,28 @@ function selectKeyboard(typed, namedByEvent) {
   }, keyboards[0])
 }
 
+function inputLabel(state, fallback) {
+  if (!state || !state.current || state.current.indexOf("keyboard-") === 0) return fallback
+  if (state.label) return String(state.label).substring(0, 3)
+  var labels = { mozc: "あ", hangul: "한", pinyin: "拼", chewing: "注" }
+  return labels[state.current] || shortLabel(state.language || state.name, {})
+}
+
+function inputTooltip(state, layout, multipleLayouts) {
+  if (!state || !state.methods || state.methods.length < 2)
+    return layout + (multipleLayouts ? "" : "\nClick to set up an input language")
+  var text = state.name + "\nClick to switch input language"
+  if (state.methods.indexOf("mozc") !== -1)
+    text += "\nJapanese: type a word, then Space twice for character choices"
+  if (multipleLayouts) text += "\nRight-click to switch keyboard layout"
+  return text
+}
+
+function showIndicator(layoutLabel, multipleLayouts, multipleInputs) {
+  return multipleInputs || (layoutLabel !== "" &&
+    (multipleLayouts || (layoutLabel !== "EN" && layoutLabel !== "ENG")))
+}
+
 function layoutIndex(keyboard) {
   return (keyboard && keyboard.active_layout_index) || 0
 }
@@ -120,6 +142,9 @@ if (typeof module !== "undefined") {
     isTypedKeyboard: isTypedKeyboard,
     layoutBriefs: layoutBriefs,
     selectKeyboard: selectKeyboard,
-    shortLabel: shortLabel
+    shortLabel: shortLabel,
+    inputLabel: inputLabel,
+    inputTooltip: inputTooltip,
+    showIndicator: showIndicator
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/shell.d/input-indicator-test.sh b/test/shell.d/input-indicator-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..91c8e175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/input-indicator-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
+
+OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT" /usr/bin/python - <<'PY'
+import importlib.util
+import os
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("indicator", os.environ["OMARCHY_PATH"] + "/default/input-methods/indicator.py")
+indicator = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+spec.loader.exec_module(indicator)
+
+with patch.object(indicator, "call", side_effect=[
+  ("Default",),
+  ("us", [("keyboard-us", ""), ("mozc", ""), ("mozc", "")]),
+  ("mozc", "Mozc", "", "fcitx_mozc", "あ", "ja", "mozc", True, "", {}),
+]):
+  state = indicator.snapshot(None)
+  assert state == {"methods": ["keyboard-us", "mozc"], "current": "mozc", "name": "Mozc", "label": "あ", "language": "ja"}
+print("ok - live state deduplicates modes and reads language independently of the engine label")
+
+def check_cycle(current, methods, expected):
+  state = {"current": current, "methods": methods}
+  with patch.object(indicator, "snapshot", return_value=state), patch.object(indicator, "call") as call:
+    indicator.cycle(None)
+    if expected is None:
+      call.assert_not_called()
+    else:
+      assert call.call_args.args[1] == "SetCurrentIM"
+      assert call.call_args.args[2].unpack() == (expected,)
+
+check_cycle("keyboard-us", ["keyboard-us", "mozc"], "mozc")
+check_cycle("mozc", ["keyboard-us", "mozc"], "keyboard-us")
+check_cycle("mozc", ["keyboard-us", "mozc", "hangul"], "hangul")
+check_cycle("hangul", ["keyboard-us", "mozc", "hangul"], "keyboard-us")
+check_cycle("keyboard-us", ["keyboard-us"], None)
+check_cycle("removed", ["keyboard-us", "mozc"], None)
+check_cycle("", [], None)
+print("ok - input cycling covers Latin, multiple engines, single modes, and stale contexts")
+PY
diff --git a/test/shell.d/keyboard-layout-test.sh b/test/shell.d/keyboard-layout-test.sh
index 5158186f..a2181b1b 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/keyboard-layout-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/keyboard-layout-test.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,22 @@ source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
 run_node_test <<'JS'
 const model = requireFromRoot('shell/plugins/bar/widgets/KeyboardLayoutModel.js')
 
+const japanese = { methods: ['keyboard-us', 'mozc'], current: 'mozc', name: 'Mozc', language: 'ja' }
+assertEqual(model.inputLabel(japanese, 'EN'), 'あ', 'Japanese input has a distinct active label')
+assertEqual(model.inputLabel({ ...japanese, label: 'ア' }, 'EN'), 'ア', 'the live engine mode takes precedence over its default glyph')
+assertEqual(model.inputLabel({ ...japanese, current: 'keyboard-us' }, 'EN'), 'EN', 'Latin input retains the keyboard label')
+assertEqual(model.inputLabel({}, 'EN'), 'EN', 'a stopped input service retains the keyboard label')
+assertEqual(model.inputLabel({ current: 'hangul' }, 'EN'), '한', 'Korean input has a distinct label')
+assertEqual(model.inputLabel({ current: 'custom', language: 'vi' }, 'EN'), 'VI', 'other engines use their reported language')
+assertEqual(model.inputTooltip(japanese, 'English (US)', false).includes('Space twice'), true, 'Japanese explains character choices')
+assertEqual(model.inputTooltip(japanese, 'English (US)', true).includes('Right-click'), true, 'combined input and layout switching stays discoverable')
+assertEqual(model.inputTooltip({ methods: ['keyboard-fr'] }, 'French', false), 'French\nClick to set up an input language', 'one foreign mode offers input setup')
+assertEqual(model.showIndicator('EN', false, false), false, 'English alone stays hidden')
+assertEqual(model.showIndicator('ENG', false, false), false, 'English before the brief table loads stays hidden')
+assertEqual(model.showIndicator('FR', false, false), true, 'a single non-English layout stays available')
+assertEqual(model.showIndicator('EN', false, true), true, 'Latin with another input mode stays available')
+assertEqual(model.showIndicator('EN', true, false), true, 'multiple keyboard layouts stay available')
+
 // Trimmed from xkbcli list, keeping the format of every section it prints,
 // including the options nested under an option group: those quote their
 // description and print an empty brief, one indent deeper than a layout's.