Hi Gigatron, I realize you wanted to put this thread to rest, but I just came upon it trying to figure out some Anki stuff.

Anyways, I just want to throw in my bit of encouragement about getting yourself to Japan, since I moved here (Japan) just over a year ago. Yes, knowing the language will help immensely, but I came here knowing pretty much no Japanese and have managed just fine. There is a surprising amount that can be communicated even if 2 people don’t speak the same language. If you have even basic Japanese under your belt, that will be quite helpful, and the immersion will just build on what you already know. Yes, it can be quite frustrating not knowing the language, and I find not being able to read the most frustrating mostly because I feel like I miss out on cool things/events/places to see because I can’t read. However, there is a lot of information that can be obtained in English here, and if you have even a small grasp of Japanese to be able to ask, or locals that speak English, they can and will help you. Also, I don’t know if you aim to live in a city, or want to be in the countryside, but I know foreigners that have lived in both big cities, and in remote villages with varying levels of Japanese (one friend also had no Japanese before she came and lived in a tiny village where hardly anyone spoke English), and not only has she survived just fine, but she enjoyed her time there.

Taking the step to make a huge change like moving to another country is of course intimidating. I didn’t really think I would actually do it either, as I tend to have a very difficult time taking risks. But, I managed to do it, and certainly don’t regret my decision to come, and think I’ll be here for another year and a half. My Japanese is still at very much a beginner level and I often get discouraged thinking that maybe I just don’t have the right kind of brain to pick up another language and think about giving up (especially considering I have immersion on my side). However, I try to focus on how much I have learned and how no matter what, learning a new language will help keep your mind sharp, even if I never use Japanese once I leave Japan.

Hope that helps!