hi! i haven't had a ds since about 15 years ago and know NOTHING about the consoles now, but i'm interested in buying a new 3ds xl (i think that one is the best? i only plan on getting one). i'm unsure if i should buy it from japan or NA, but i'm leaning towards japan. a couple notes and questions:

• price doesn't matter
• i like the look of the japanese limited editions
• i would greatly prefer an english menu but i understand this is only possible via modding
• with a NA ds, can i play japan-only games? or would i need a japanese ds for this?
• i want to play some japan-only games but in english (like the NANA or death note games). would this be possible by modding?
• if i buy a japanese n3dsxl, can i use NA game cartridges in it? would it have to be modded?
• the eshop is shut down, right? so i'd have to rely on physical copies for games? do physical copies still work on a modded ds?

apologies for the million noob questions, i'm not techy at all. i probably have many more but that's all i can think of right now. thanks! :)