[Jaydelart]

You said it yourself, you're self-taught in German; you already know the answer.

Whatever your native tongue is, chances are you started that process yourself. Like most people, you learned to speak before you could properly read and write, and that's mostly due to natural immersion and adaption.
Of course, there are many important factors that come into play now that you're older: willpower, resources, attitude, capacity, etc. but it is definitely possible. It's mainly a matter of finding the method that suits you naturally.

And if you can't quite find that right method yourself, there is always the usual/orthodox methods of learning it... which can sometimes be faster than being self-taught, depending on the individual.


In short: If a Japanese child can learn to speak it and understand it up until formal literacy... you can too. Succeed in that, and it all builds up from there, which I'm sure you already understand.

In any case, you have nothing to lose but time -- but people waste time all the time; this would be an investment.


Just my opinion.