diff --git a/lib/open_jtalk b/lib/open_jtalk
index b56a8ed..acd0cc6 160000
--- a/lib/open_jtalk
+++ b/lib/open_jtalk
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit b56a8ed2a63f021e72f237b15b8881ce1cbd621d
+Subproject commit acd0cc63ab63d09ea519a39462a2cbc9bc8698d0
diff --git a/pyopenjtalk/__init__.py b/pyopenjtalk/__init__.py
index 8ce923b..09a8e94 100644
--- a/pyopenjtalk/__init__.py
+++ b/pyopenjtalk/__init__.py
@@ -17,28 +17,22 @@
 except ImportError:
     raise ImportError("BUG: version.py doesn't exist. Please file a bug report.")
 
-import locale
-
 from .htsengine import HTSEngine
 from .openjtalk import CreateUserDict, OpenJTalk
 
-path_encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
-
-path_encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
-
 # Dictionary directory
 # defaults to the package directory where the dictionary will be automatically downloaded
 OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR = os.environ.get(
     "OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR",
     pkg_resources.resource_filename(__name__, "open_jtalk_dic_utf_8-1.11"),
-)
+).encode("utf-8")
 _dict_download_url = "https://github.com/r9y9/open_jtalk/releases/download/v1.11.1"
 _DICT_URL = f"{_dict_download_url}/open_jtalk_dic_utf_8-1.11.tar.gz"
 
 # Default mei_normal.voice for HMM-based TTS
 DEFAULT_HTS_VOICE = pkg_resources.resource_filename(
     __name__, "htsvoice/mei_normal.htsvoice"
-)
+).encode("utf-8")
 
 # Global instance of OpenJTalk
 _global_jtalk = None
@@ -73,7 +67,7 @@ def _extract_dic():
         f.extractall(path=pkg_resources.resource_filename(__name__, ""))
     OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR = pkg_resources.resource_filename(
         __name__, "open_jtalk_dic_utf_8-1.11"
-    )
+    ).encode("utf-8")
     os.remove(filename)
 
 
@@ -100,7 +94,7 @@ def g2p(*args, **kwargs):
     global _global_jtalk
     if _global_jtalk is None:
         _lazy_init()
-        _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR.encode(path_encoding))
+        _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR)
     return _global_jtalk.g2p(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
@@ -135,7 +129,7 @@ def synthesize(labels, speed=1.0, half_tone=0.0):
 
     global _global_htsengine
     if _global_htsengine is None:
-        _global_htsengine = HTSEngine(DEFAULT_HTS_VOICE.encode(path_encoding))
+        _global_htsengine = HTSEngine(DEFAULT_HTS_VOICE)
     sr = _global_htsengine.get_sampling_frequency()
     _global_htsengine.set_speed(speed)
     _global_htsengine.add_half_tone(half_tone)
@@ -171,7 +165,7 @@ def run_frontend(text, verbose=0):
     global _global_jtalk
     if _global_jtalk is None:
         _lazy_init()
-        _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR.encode(path_encoding))
+        _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR)
     return _global_jtalk.run_frontend(text, verbose)
 
 
@@ -187,7 +181,7 @@ def create_user_dict(path, out_path):
         _lazy_init()
     if not exists(path):
         raise ValueError("no such file or directory: %s" % path)
-    CreateUserDict(OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR.encode(path_encoding), path.encode(path_encoding), out_path.encode(path_encoding))
+    CreateUserDict(OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR, path.encode("utf-8"), out_path.encode("utf-8"))
 
 
 def set_user_dict(path):
@@ -202,7 +196,7 @@ def set_user_dict(path):
     if not exists(path):
         raise ValueError("no such file or directory: %s" % path)
     _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(
-        dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR.encode(path_encoding), user_mecab=path.encode(path_encoding)
+        dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR, user_mecab=path.encode("utf-8")
     )
 
 
@@ -211,4 +205,4 @@ def unset_user_dict():
     global _global_jtalk
     if _global_jtalk is None:
         _lazy_init()
-    _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR.encode(path_encoding))
\ No newline at end of file
+    _global_jtalk = OpenJTalk(dn_mecab=OPEN_JTALK_DICT_DIR)
\ No newline at end of file