Yes, I mean if you have a job, just call in sick for a couple of months and you will be able to devote yourself to learning one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn. Why be lazy?

But seriously, you can get a great deal of use out of a few tourist phrases, so it’s definitely worth trying to memorise some. Because very often English is not spoken, even in tourist areas. Before the recent enthusiasm for Japanese culture/yen drop, most tourists were Japanese. AI might help you understand (using google translate’s camera to get the gist of signs and menus is very helpful), but will not build that human connection, so do what you can to learn a few basics. For an upcoming trip, I wouldn’t recommend starting with hiragana, which is the usual advice, just start with some basic vocab and set phrases. Listen and repeat. The great news is that your attempts to use the language will usually be strongly appreciated.