Perhaps you should read some blogs about student's life in Japan.. they are from the Temple University Japan campus.. mainly focused in the Azabu hall..

http://abigmarkinjapan.blogspot.com/ (Mark Frank)
http://urbanslide.com/ (Mason)
http://tokyojosh.blogspot.com/ (Josh)
http://www.youtube.com/tokyojosh (Josh's also)

These people I linked you to write alot about their daily life in Japan, should give you a rough idea on how their education is.. and how it is like to survive in a totally different environment.. and of course not to mention the top-notch Japanese entertainment scene.. car tuning shows.. and the likes..

No problem.. I'm not studying in Japan or anything (I'm still in Form 4!) but it's these kind of blogs and their writers that help you think about where you wanna go.. Japan from an alternative viewpoint.. if you've read the blogs.. it's rather tempting when you see those cool stuff they do in Japan.. like go to those Japan auto shows, those road junctions in Shibuya where a thousand people cross when traffic lights turn red.. when it's rush hour at the train station and they have to shove everyone into the train carriage like sardines in a tin..