Hey, I saw your comment on my friend striders page. I can't read Japanese either, but it doesn't hinder me when I play Pokemon Black in Japanese. If you can afford to import it, and can't wait for the English release, I'd recommend buying it. It's soooo awesome. I barely notice it's in Japanese...except for when it comes to storyline. I'll have to wait til spring to know the plot. But it's still fun to battle, wins badges, collect and train Pokemon.