Learning Japanese Priorities: 1. Speaking/Listening 2. Reading 3. Writing w/ computer

[LaoLiang]

Hi Guys,

I've began studying Chinese at University in my home country and like many others spent the majority of time on writing characters by hand. After a year or so it was clear that it was a waste of time that could be used better for learning to speak/listen/read. Writing is mostly done by the computer anyhow. This boosted efficiency by about 8 folds.

Now I'm curious to start with Japanese with a focus on speaking/listening and reading. How difficult would that be compared to Chinese? Can I use the same tactics? It seems that grammar is quite simple and pronunciation is easier than Chinese.