do i need to know japanese?

I spent some time Friday night at Borders looking at language books for Japanese, and I think that learning the language would be an incredible feat for me, something I'd love to accomplish, and something I'm deathly afraid to take on. It looks like it'll be a huge amount of work, and I don't even really know where to begin...except, how could I forget...Google! I think there may even be a Japanese language center in Providence, perhaps even right down the road from my place...must give it a look-see.