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[junkmail]

Where's a cheap Japanese language school in Tokyo or Osaka? or anywhere for that matter.
Cheers.

[Vince]

The cheapest you'll find are the free lessons at community centers. They're worth checking out, but don't waste your time if it turns out to be a few unqualified retirees teaching basic pleasantries.

Some YMCA branches have inexpensive lessons. I took lessons at one for a few months. I learned a few good grammar points, but the lessons weren't as helpful as those at professional language schools. But as you might have seen, these schools hardly qualify as cheap.

Another route is language exchange. Be careful of language mooches who try to nudge the arrangement into all English. You could easily find yourself in the community center situation: an unqualified person who will teach you how to say arigato and consider it a job well done.

The most cost-effective route is probably to get a good textbook (one for conversation, and one for kanji), speak Japanese as much as possible, watch TV, and try to get a job where you have opportunities to use Japanese. My Japanese was at its highest when I was working in the personnel section of a language school.