Do you find Japanese a hard language to learn?

Question:

I find it very interesting, but learning Kanji and how to pronounce things properly and fluently seems to be hard. How long would it take to become somewhat fluent in Japanese?

Answer:

Hi, I'm a foreigner and I learned Japanese in Japan. I learned German throughout college, and couldn't speak a word of Japanese when I got here. (not very bright, but oh well...)

You'd be surprised how easy it is to get the hang of spoken Japanese. Now I know living in Japan is good incentive to learn, but even taking classes in the USA, if you make an effort at daily practice, you will be speaking on a basic level within a few weeks. Fluency could be expected in a years time with serious study, and with a more casual program of study, it will take much longer. Living in the country while studying hard, one to two years and you will have BASIC fluency.
Some Americans/English who come to Japan don't study and never learn Japanese. So you can live here 10 years and never learn Japanese--don't think living here means you automatically pick it up, because you still have to make an effort.

"Basic fluency" means that you can handle everyday conversations, like ordering food, asking for directions, greeting people and asking about their health, being able to understand announcements on the train, etc.

To go beyond the basic level, then yes, you need to learn how to read Japanese, and the system of writing. Hiragana and Katakana as you learn them help you learn correct pronunciation. But Japanese pronunciation is very easy. But you will have only a child's vocabulary if you do not learn the words that come from Kanji, and how to read Kanji.
The standard list of Kanji, Joyo, has 1,987 characters if I'm not mistaken. From the mixing of those characters and different readings, come the majority of words in the Japanese language. This will take several years of study, but it can be done.

And like I said, basic fluency, which will get you around in Japan, can be acquired relatively easily. Higher-level understanding and ability will take more time. But not impossible.