If your page is actually encoded in Shift-JIS, though, the META tags on your pages will conflict with the HTTP header. So there's still a chance that your Web page will display just fine. Now all you need to do is build what is known as a language, or locale, gateway. This is basically a fancy name for whatever type of hyperlink you use to direct users from your English home page to your Japanese-language page. If your first thought was to use a Japanese flag for the gateway, you may want to think again.
Flags are colorful, but they can be ambiguous.
Flags can also carry a lot of visual and emotional baggage. Not everyone loves to see his or her flag. The use of a GIF guarantees that the text will display properly regardless of the fonts installed. You can also use a mix of text links and GIFs, as done at europa.eu.int . Let users select their language.