<p>Best way to learn a language: full immersion. Just don't let them baby you too much with English.</p>
<p>Read Shogun by James Clavell if you haven't already, and watch the movie. You'd be amazed at just how much Japanese you can pick up. Granted, it's just a few words and phrases, but it's better than nothing.</p>
<p>I'm actually quite jealous. I would love to spend a year studying in Japan.</p>