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To change the language your Nintendo Switch uses, open HOME Menu > System Settings > System > Language, select a language such as English or Japanese, and allow the console to restart. A Japanese game will use that language only if the particular release contains it; changing the console setting cannot add a translation that is not included in the game.
To change the console region, open HOME Menu > System Settings > System > Region, choose a region, accept its end-user license agreement, and restart. The console region and your Nintendo Account country/region are separate settings. Japanese eShop purchases and Japanese download or prepaid codes require the Nintendo Account country/region to be set to Japan.
Change the Switch system language
The system-language setting controls the language that compatible software requests when it starts. Nintendo documents the following procedure in its official language instructions.
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- Scroll down the left column and select System.
- In the right column, select Language.
- Choose the language you want, such as English or Japanese.
- When the restart prompt appears, confirm it and wait for the console to reboot.
Restarting closes any software that is suspended. Save your progress and close the game before changing the language, rather than relying on the system’s suspended-software state.
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Why changing the console language may not change a Japanese game
Nintendo’s rule is conditional: “The language for a game or software application will default to the language setting that has been selected on the console, so long as the intended language is supported by the game or software application.” In practice, the Switch passes your selected language to the game at launch. The game then uses that language if the publisher included it in that specific release.
A Japanese cartridge or Japanese digital listing can therefore fall into several different categories:
- Multilingual release: English is included, so setting the console to English normally causes the game to start in English.
- Japanese-only release: The game remains Japanese because no English data is installed. The console cannot download or create a missing translation.
- Multiple languages with an in-game selector: The title may follow the console setting initially or provide its own menu. The selector’s location and available languages are publisher-specific.
- Partially translated release: Menus, subtitles, voices, or manuals may use different language sets. “English support” does not necessarily mean every audio track or piece of text is English.
Nintendo does not publish an aggregate percentage of Japanese Switch games that include English. Treat language support as a title-by-title fact, not as a property of Japanese releases in general.
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Use the official Nintendo eShop description for the Japanese listing, the publisher’s product page, or the game manual. Confirm that the language list applies to the same edition, cartridge, or download region you intend to purchase. A similarly named overseas edition can have a different language package from the Japanese edition.
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- Identify whether you are buying a Japanese physical card, a Japanese eShop download, or an overseas release.
- Open the official product description for that edition.
- Find the supported-language list and look specifically for English (or another language you need).
- Check whether the listing distinguishes interface text, subtitles, and voice languages.
- If no language information is published, contact the publisher or treat the language as unconfirmed instead of assuming that the console setting will provide it.
If the game still opens in Japanese
First verify that the console actually restarted after you changed System > Language. Then close the game completely and launch it again; a suspended copy can retain its previous state. If the menus remain Japanese after a fresh launch, the most likely explanation is that the release does not contain the selected language or expects an in-game language choice. Look for a language option in the title’s opening screen or settings menu only when the publisher documents one. Do not expect a system update to add English unless the publisher explicitly releases a language update.
Are Japanese physical Switch games region locked?
Imported physical software generally runs on Switch consoles sold in other regions. Nintendo’s Japanese support guidance says overseas-released physical Nintendo Switch software works on a console sold in Japan, while also warning that Nintendo has not tested every title and cannot guarantee operation or after-sales service. That guidance supports many cross-region cartridge purchases, but it is not a universal guarantee for every game, accessory, online feature, or add-on.
When evaluating an imported cartridge, separate three questions that are often confused:
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- Console compatibility: Does the game card boot on your model of Switch?
- Language support: Does that particular regional release include English or another desired language?
- DLC and online compatibility: Can your account and storefront obtain the add-on content, updates, or online services associated with that release?
A “not region locked” answer addresses only the first question. It does not promise a translation or guarantee that downloadable content sold in another storefront will work with the cartridge.
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Physical-import checks
- Read the cartridge’s regional product information and compare it with the publisher’s language list.
- Determine whether the game needs a download for patches, extra chapters, or language files.
- Check the publisher’s instructions for downloadable content and online services before purchasing.
- Keep the retailer’s return terms in mind because Nintendo’s limited testing and support statement leaves some titles outside its guarantee.
Change the console region
The region setting is separate from the language setting. It changes the console’s selected market region and requires a restart. Nintendo lists five choices: Japan; The Americas; Europe; Australia/New Zealand; and Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea. Follow Nintendo’s region instructions:
- From the HOME Menu, select System Settings.
- Scroll down the left column and select System.
- In the right column, select Region.
- Choose Japan, The Americas, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, or Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea.
- Select the option to continue.
- Read the end-user license agreement for the selected region and accept it if you agree.
- Confirm the restart and wait for the console to reboot.
Changing the console region is not a translation switch. A Japanese game that lacks English will remain Japanese after you select The Americas, and an English-language game does not become Japanese merely because you select Japan. Region changes also do not automatically move your Nintendo Account, eShop balance, subscriptions, or payment profile.
Console region and Nintendo Account country are different
| Setting | Where you change it | What it controls | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|---|
| System language | System Settings > System > Language | The language requested by compatible software and the console interface | It cannot add translations missing from a game release |
| System region | System Settings > System > Region | The console’s selected market region, subject to the region EULA | It does not change your Nintendo Account country or guarantee DLC access |
| Nintendo Account country/region | Your Nintendo Account settings | The account storefront and regional-code eligibility | It does not rewrite the console interface or a game’s language files |
Changing one of these settings does not automatically change the others. Decide which problem you are solving before altering a setting: a Japanese interface, a console-market setting, or access to a Japanese storefront are different problems.
Japanese eShop purchases and prepaid codes
Nintendo’s Japan eShop guidance requires the Nintendo Account country/region to be Japan for Japan-specific eShop purchases. Japan-issued download cards and Nintendo prepaid cards also cannot be redeemed unless the account country/region is Japan.
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This requirement applies to the account, not merely to the Switch’s System > Region value. Setting the console region to Japan while leaving the account assigned to another country does not make a non-Japanese account eligible for Japanese codes. Conversely, an account set to Japan does not automatically change the console’s language.
Before changing an account country/region, review Nintendo’s current account rules and the possible effects on account balance, subscriptions, payment methods, and existing purchases. Make sure you understand those consequences before attempting to redeem a regional code. If you only want to play a Japanese physical cartridge, changing the account country is usually a separate decision and is not required merely because the cartridge was imported.
Physical cartridge or Japanese digital release?
The format changes the practical risks. Use the following comparison when choosing how to obtain a Japanese title.
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| Consideration | Japanese physical game card | Japanese digital purchase |
|---|---|---|
| Console start-up | Generally works across Switch console regions, subject to Nintendo’s limited testing and support qualification | Requires access to the relevant storefront and an eligible account |
| Language | Determined by the language package on that card’s release | Determined by the language package attached to that Japanese eShop listing |
| Storefront requirement | Not needed simply to insert and launch the card | Japan-specific purchases require a Nintendo Account country/region set to Japan |
| Prepaid code use | Not applicable to the card itself | Japanese download and prepaid cards require a Japan-set Nintendo Account |
| DLC and online services | Must be checked against the game’s release and the account storefront | Must be checked against the Japanese listing, account region, and any matching-content requirement |
| Ownership and support risk | You retain a physical card, but Nintendo does not guarantee every imported title or after-sales service | Access depends on the account and storefront rules in force when you purchase |
For either format, language support is a property of the release. The physical-versus-digital choice does not turn a Japanese-only game into a multilingual one.
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A safe decision process before buying an imported Japanese game
- Identify the exact edition. Record the title, release region, physical or digital format, and any edition or bundle name. Avoid relying on a cover image from a different market.
- Verify languages. Read the official listing or publisher documentation for that edition. Confirm English text, subtitles, or voices separately when the listing distinguishes them.
- Check cartridge compatibility. For a physical import, confirm that the seller is supplying a Nintendo Switch game card and understand that Nintendo has not tested every title across regions.
- Map the DLC path. Find out which storefront sells the add-on content and whether it must match the game’s release region. Include patches, expansion passes, and online services in this check.
- Choose the account arrangement. A Japanese digital purchase or Japanese prepaid code requires a Nintendo Account country/region set to Japan. Do not assume the console region setting changes this requirement.
- Change only the setting you need. Use the language menu for interface or game-language selection, the region menu for the console’s market region, and account settings for storefront eligibility.
- Restart and test. After a system language or region change, allow the required restart, launch the game from a closed state, and test the title before buying additional DLC or codes.
Common situations and the correct fix
“I set my Switch to English, but the Japanese game is still Japanese.”
Check the exact Japanese release’s supported-language information. If English is not listed, the game has no English data for the console to select. If English is listed, close the software completely, confirm the console restarted after the language change, and launch it again. Look for a publisher-documented in-game language selector if the title does not follow the system setting.
“Do I need to set the console region to Japan to play a Japanese cartridge?”
Usually not. Nintendo’s guidance indicates that overseas physical software works on consoles sold in Japan, with the qualification that not every title has been tested and operation or after-sales service is not guaranteed. Region selection and language selection solve different problems; verify the card’s language, DLC, and online requirements instead of changing region automatically.
“Can I use a Japanese eShop code on my US account?”
No. Nintendo’s Japan eShop guidance says the Nintendo Account country/region must be Japan for Japan-issued download cards and Nintendo prepaid cards. Changing only the console’s region does not satisfy that account requirement.
“Will changing my account country make the game English?”
No. Account country controls storefront and code eligibility. The game’s language remains determined by the language files in that release and the console language selected at launch.
“The cartridge launches, but its DLC is unavailable.”
Treat the base game and add-on as separate compatibility questions. Confirm the cartridge’s release region, identify the storefront selling the DLC, and check whether the publisher requires a matching game and account region. A cartridge that boots successfully does not establish that every add-on or online service will work.
“The Switch asks me to accept an agreement after I choose a region.”
That is expected. Review the selected region’s end-user license agreement, accept it only if you agree, and complete the restart required by Nintendo’s region procedure. If you do not want to accept it, cancel rather than proceeding.
Language and region combinations explained
| Your goal | Setting to use | What to verify separately |
|---|---|---|
| Use an English interface and English game text where available | System Settings > System > Language > English | The individual game release must include English |
| Use a Japanese interface or test Japanese text | System Settings > System > Language > Japanese | The game must include Japanese; restart before relaunching |
| Change the console’s market region | System Settings > System > Region, then accept the EULA and restart | Account storefront, DLC, language, and online requirements remain separate |
| Buy from the Japan-specific eShop | Set the Nintendo Account country/region to Japan according to Nintendo’s account rules | Review balance, subscription, payment, and purchase implications first |
| Play an imported physical card | Insert the card; a console-region change is generally not required | Check title-specific language, DLC, online service, and support limitations |
What not to assume
- Do not assume every Japanese release includes English because another edition of the same game does.
- Do not assume that an English system language can supply text that was never installed in the game.
- Do not treat a successful cartridge launch as proof that DLC, updates, or online services are compatible.
- Do not confuse the console’s region menu with the Nintendo Account country/region setting.
- Do not assume a Japanese prepaid code can be redeemed on an account registered outside Japan.
- Do not interpret Nintendo’s cross-region physical-software guidance as a guarantee for every title or after-sales situation.
Quick checklist
- For the interface: HOME Menu > System Settings > System > Language, choose a language, and restart.
- For the console market region: HOME Menu > System Settings > System > Region, choose a region, accept its EULA, and restart.
- For game language: verify the exact release’s supported-language list; the console setting works only when that language is included.
- For a physical import: confirm cartridge compatibility, then check language, DLC, and online-service requirements separately.
- For Japanese digital purchases or prepaid codes: use a Nintendo Account whose country/region is Japan and review account consequences before changing it.
Bottom line
Set the Switch language to the language you want, but judge the result by the specific Japanese game release. Use the region menu only when you need to change the console’s market setting, and remember that Japanese eShop access and codes depend on the Nintendo Account country/region. For imported cartridges, compatibility is often practical across regions, yet language, DLC, online services, and Nintendo’s limited testing and support guarantee must each be checked independently.
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