Learning To Read Japanese

[KumaDog]

Anyone attempted serious study of reading? I'm considering making it a " life" goal of mine. I want to be able to read historical texts, which would take even longer as older forms are in use. But still, it'd be neat to even read a newspaper article or website.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience or knows anyone who has. It seems both highly appealing and highly daunting to me.

I dont know if anyone has mentioned this but to read old texts, pre 1900 probably, you will need special instruction. The really old texts, like Tale of Genji are so different that learning modern Japanese might not help entirely. I'm taking 3 classes a week. Its weird turning graphics into letters and words. You can read modern versions but if you want to read the original forms...
In the US its already being shot down..the notion of not needing to learn to write (in the US case, cursive) here in Japan, hiragana, katagana and so on. It has to do with the brain "learning" the alphabet etc. Also, the schools I am going to insist the place to start is hiragana. If you do not learn to actually write the text you will ultimately be thought of as a fool. the schools I go to are free and sponsored by local, retired teachers. I trust them to know the real deal.