I lived in Japan for 4 years, worked for a big Japanese company which continued after that residency, and speak the language. It’s a wonderful country. The people are very friendly. Making an effort to speak Japanese will greatly impress them. If you are a native English speaker and have a university degree in absolutely any subject, I strongly recommend you check out the Japan English Teacher program. You can live there for a few years and teach in the schools and really get to know the culture intimately. I’m available for PM, too.