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Google japanese keyboard layouts. They have always been like this. It always made sense to me, as I touch type. I once bought a japanese thinkpad just because of this.

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I actually recently came across Japanese layouts because a user requested support in http://typing.io, a programmer's typing tutor I work on. I like the smaller space bar but dislike the shrunk delete/backspace key [1]. Backspace is already hard to type because of its distance from the home row. The problem is even worse for programmers because the right pinky not only needs to type most of the symbol keys, it also needs to correct typos made when these symbols are mistyped.

[1] https://discussions.apple.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/...

Remap caps lock to control, backspace becomes c-h like in the olden days. And for bonus cred, escape becomes c-[.

I learned this a long time ago and have never given escape or backspace any more thought.

I never use the backspace key. I have had it mapped to 'C-;' for ages. The japanese backspace is terrible, but the normal US layout isn't too good either.

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