If you could choose to live in another country...

[Clodfobble]

Nope! I have a ridiculous number of friends who did programs like this, Razz. Every single one of them loved it. One has stayed for four years now, and has no intentions of ever leaving. They usually have you teach the junior-high-ish aged kids, whose English is already good enough that they don't need you to speak any Japanese at all. Plus, from what I hear most of the other teachers speak at least some amount of English. Picking up the basics is useful from a culture-shock standpoint, but in no way necessary for your job.