I studied French, and I am *nearly* fluent in Japanese. Lived in Osaka for 3 weeks a few months back - spent the first week remembering all the stuff I had forgotten, and then the next two learning new stuff. If I was there for a few more weeks I would have got there, but at present I can at least say whatever I want if I think hard enough. I gave up trying to memorise kanji eventually (although I did learn a whole tonne reading names of towns on road signs) - I found it more beneficial figuring out how they're made up, and how to work out the meanings and readings of complex kanji.