I plan on moving to japan, but i want to know how much japanese i should know before moving there. (im not moving soon. but i plan to move there in a few years). Should i have a pretty good or really good grasp on japanese?
You need a pretty good grasp. At least fluent at a n2 level as a minimum is my guess. Lots of jobs and schools have n2 as a minimum. But honestly better if you’re at n1 or working on it and you can hold up a conversation in jp.
Enough that you could have a small conversation, know what to say if you need help, like saying you don't know too much Japanese but do know English, and not having to constantly Google words
I heard working a a convenience store needs N3 while other jobs need N2. I think these are the absolute visa requirements alongside someone willing to employ you in Japan. Also, as the others said, some ability to talk.