Question asked on OOo mailing list - probably better asked here ??

[Alan]

> If, for example, I regularly write articles about the card game bridge I
> want to easily get the glyphs ♠ or ♣ or ♥ or ♦ without having to use a
> cheat sheet -- like I have just done.  Similarly, I am an English

xkeycaps may do what you want. It lets you graphically adjust your
keyboard. 

http://www.jwz.org/xkeycaps/

For Japanese and the like you need to look at input methods as there are
different ways of entering some languages on a keyboard.

Alan