diff --git a/plugins/language_java.lua b/plugins/language_java.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d9e12d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/language_java.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+local syntax = require "core.syntax"
+
+syntax.add {
+  files = { "%.java$" },
+  comment = "//",
+  patterns = {
+    { pattern = "//.-\n",               type = "comment"  },
+    { pattern = { "/%*", "%*/" },       type = "comment"  },
+    { pattern = { '"', '"', '\\' },     type = "string"   },
+    { pattern = { "'", "'", '\\' },     type = "string"   },
+    { pattern = "'\\x%x?%x?%x?%x'",         type = "string"   }, -- character hexadecimal escape sequence
+    { pattern = "'\\u%x%x%x%x'",            type = "string"   }, -- character unicode escape sequence
+    { pattern = "'\\?.'",                   type = "string"   }, -- character literal
+    { pattern = "-?0x%x+",              type = "number"   },
+    { pattern = "-?%d+[%d%.eE]*f?",     type = "number"   },
+    { pattern = "-?%.?%d+f?",           type = "number"   },
+    { pattern = "[%+%-=/%*%^%%<>!~|&]", type = "operator" },
+    { pattern = "[%a_][%w_]*%f[(]",     type = "function" },
+    { pattern = "[%a_][%w_]*",          type = "symbol"   },
+  },
+  symbols = {
+    ["if"]       = "keyword",
+    ["then"]     = "keyword",
+    ["else"]     = "keyword",
+    ["else if"]   = "keyword",
+    ["do"]       = "keyword",
+    ["while"]    = "keyword",
+    ["for"]      = "keyword",
+    ["new"]      = "keyword",
+    ["break"]    = "keyword",
+    ["continue"] = "keyword",
+    ["return"]   = "keyword",
+    ["goto"]     = "keyword",
+    ["class"]   = "keyword",
+    ["implements"]   = "keyword",
+    ["extends"]   = "keyword",
+    ["private"]  = "keyword",
+    ["protected"] = "keyword",
+    ["public"]   = "keyword",
+    ["abstract"]   = "keyword",
+    ["interface"]   = "keyword",
+    ["assert"]   = "keyword",
+    ["import"]   = "keyword",
+    ["native"]   = "keyword",
+    ["package"]   = "keyword",
+    ["super"]   = "keyword",
+    ["synchronized"]   = "keyword",
+    ["instanceof"]      = "keyword",
+    ["enum"]     = "keyword",
+    ["catch"]    = "keyword",
+    ["throw"]    = "keyword",
+    ["throws"]    = "keyword",
+    ["try"]      = "keyword",
+    ["transient"]   = "keyword",
+    ["finally"]      = "keyword",
+    ["static"]   = "keyword",
+    ["volatile"] = "keyword",
+    ["final"]    = "keyword",
+    ["switch"]   = "keyword",
+    ["case"]     = "keyword",
+    ["default"]  = "keyword",
+    ["void"]     = "keyword",
+    ["int"]      = "keyword2",
+    ["short"]    = "keyword2",
+    ["byte"]    = "keyword2",
+    ["long"]     = "keyword2",
+    ["float"]    = "keyword2",
+    ["double"]   = "keyword2",
+    ["char"]     = "keyword2",
+    ["boolean"]     = "keyword2",
+    ["true"]     = "literal",
+    ["false"]    = "literal",
+    ["null"]     = "literal",
+  },
+}