Student Visa or Child of Japanese National Visa ?

I need help in strategizing how to move back home to Japan.

I was born in Tokyo to a Japanese father and foreign mother. I lived there as a teenager and would like to return with my child, as I am a single mother and Japan is truly home to me. I didn't keep up my Japanese passport so I will need to go back on a visa, and honestly, I want to naturalize. Despite English being my first language, I've never felt comfortable in the US. I'm ready for this change.

What makes my visa strategy situation complicated is the fact that I have had major financial hardship for many years in the US due to a number of reasons including health. My health has turned around quite significantly and I am expecting to make major financial strides forward as an independent contractor in a field I 've previously done well in. This is how I'm seeking to support my family moving forward. Not a salary job.

I understand that when applying for a long term visa, finances are a major issue. I have filed taxes every year but I have been living on welfare and there is next to no income being reported for many years. My savings have been non-existent. So starting now (my new gig begins next week) I'm looking to build up a cash reserve large enough to gain acceptance for my daughter and I to return to Japan.

I'm under the impression that with a student visa, the financial requirements would be less demanding. I would prefer to come back on a Child of Japanese National Visa and study Japanese with private tutors and groups, as Japanese Language School seem like a major commitment. However, given my financial history, if the CJN Visa is far too difficult for me to attain, I am willing to join a language school so long as I can go home. I would like to return by next summer.

Any insight or advice?

PS: I don't see any problem with contacting my Japanese family members to act as my guarantors from a moral stand point, but not a financial one.