What are some common terms I should learn in Japanese before traveling to Japan?

Learning how to order* (food/at a convenience store/it's all the same), recognize the train station's kanji of where you're going to be staying, and how to ask where things are or directions. Although, depending on where you're going you might not have to learn any at all! If you're in Tokyo, a lot of people speak English, at least at a basic level, and business men may come up to you and try to practice their English by asking if you need help (this really works if you stand around looking confused at a train station).

Japan is a convenience culture and truly, you probably won't have any more problems than traveling abroad to anywhere else. *that bit they ramble off quite quickly at the beginning when go up to the counter is usually a variation on 「㝓㝡ら㝧坬㝗上㝌り㝾㝙㝋？〝(kochirade meshiagarimasuka? ) and it's just them asking you in keigo (polite japanese) if you're going to eat there.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.