Nice. You are totally right about how the industry just caters to casual learners. Genki and other Japan Times textbooks were some of the only books I found useful.

三年ぐらいどうやって勉強すればいいかって迷ってたけど、最後は外国人と日本語をしゃべる日本人とあまりしゃべらない計画で毎日一つの文法を勉強して、しゃべる時あの文法を使うのを頑張りました。こういう方法はめっちゃ早いけど、５年前ぐらい日本を離れて今だんだん忘れていく。

I am formulating a plan to get rich being a good person so I can open up something and snatch an investment visa in the process，then I can go back and do my own thing rather than have life dictated by the crazy work hours and company protocols.

Are you still in Japan？ Did you ever find a good way to study more advanced vocabulary besides rote memory? I find the basics of language to be really easy now but I still have a hard time remembering such a vast collection of words.