PMJ

Hello all!
I just recently got accepted into a doctoral program (w/ funding *thank god*) and I am endlessly thinking about what I should do for a project. I have been forcing myself not to think about projects and the stuff that comes with that, but I can't help but want to plan stuff out way ahead of time. 
I originally wanted to focus on doing work in Spanish-speaking countries thus I took Spanish courses as an undergrad, but I find myself drawn more towards Japan.  I've always had a strong appreciation for Japanese culture, but I have no exposure to the language. 
Is it typical to learn an entirely different foreign language during the first 2 or 3 years of a doctoral program? From what I hear is that I should be able to do so through coursework, workshops, etc but I also hear that Japanese is incredibly difficult for native English speakers. Plus, my program expects me to have at least an intermediate proficiency in a foreign language before the end of my third year. 
Any info you can offer definitely helps.