Please assist me with some guidance. Want to move to Japan for language with a family member (20s & 50s)!

Hello,

Although this may sound extreme, we are serious about this lifestyle change.

Firstly some background. I am a guy in my late 20's from the USA. I have a bachelors degree in a STEM field and have currently been accepted into an online Computer Science Masters program also in the USA. I really like Japan. I have determined that I would like to dedicate 1-2 years of my life living in Japan and learning the language seriously. I have decided this because I am not able to currently get a job in the US due to the job market right now, I also do not want to keep renting an expensive apartment here in a HCOL city without a good job.

Ideally I would move to Japan for 1-2+ years on some form of student visa where I would learn the language, live my life, and potentially work part-time if I have extra time after working on my masters classes (i'd be taking only 1 class per semester most likely to make time for japanese learning school). I would plan to do career-related internships in the summer while also applying for tech roles in the US after a year or two.

Another thing to consider is maybe it would be better to just do my actual masters in CS in Japan? Are there any benefits to this as opposed to coming to japan on the language learning visa? Maybe in terms of pricing?

What makes my situation interesting is that I have a family member in their 50's (also a working professional with a graduate degree that is now taking time off of work) who would also like to come with me and do this. We would live together which I assume would entail a better living arrangement than the usual single room students decide to get. This family member also would like to seriously learn the language and live life in Japan for a couple of years.

I would ideally like to spend less than $50k USD per year for the two of us. This would include the language school costs, the rent for apartment(s), and then the essentials such as public transport/food/etc. I already have money saved so that is not a concern at the moment.

Questions:

1. Is this reasonable in terms of money? What would your guess be at annual spend for the both of us in terms of just essentials?

2. What would my first steps be to start the process as fast and as soon as possible?

3. Should I research and pick a language school, or perhaps go with the masters in japan route?

4. Should i start the immigration paperwork now and where do I learn about this best?

5. What is the typical timeline for how long this would take? If it's March 2026 right now, could I have all of this set up by September 2026 so that I can end my current lease and go straight to Japan?