Hi Mike--
You will really need to buy an English version of Vista, format, and install
it. Any other resolution is partial.
There are two types of language files--and both are partial but either may
be what you're looking for. MUI available only in Vista Ultimate and
Enterprise are the most extensive--but LIP are available for any edition of
Vista. I'm not sure which Vista you have--but you may want to look into
these:
How do I get additional language files?
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/35a1b021-d96c-49a5-8d8f-5e9d64ab5ecc1033.mspx
If you have Enterprise or Ultimate you can look into MUI. But even if you
don't, you can download the LIP files, and see if they will do the job for
you. LOL I don't know how fluent you might be in Japanese either.
LIP files can be downloaded from here:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=66923
http://www.microsoft.com/industry/government/locallanguage/default.aspx
""Because not all of the user interface is translated, LIPs require at least
one parent language. The parts of the user interface that are not translated
into the LIP language are displayed in the parent language. When you
download a LIP, you are given the parent language requirements for that
language. The parent language pack needs to be installed before the LIP can
be installed."
If you do try either of them, let us know how they work for you.
Good luck,
CH