Interesting topic but fall in the category of people who think that Japanese can be learned by analogy(Maybe only Koreans and Chinese can do it) just like european languages, which doesn't happen. People I've met who speak Japanese but can't write have a very LIMITED vocabulary, can't use honorifics neither particles properly and probably will never understand what is said in the news since most words used are based on kanjis...
Kanjis can be tough but without them it isn't possible to speak Japanese decently neither find a job. Well, it depends on what kind of Japanese one wants to learn. If one wants to enter college in Japan JLPT is a MUST . Apart from the knowledge side, I think is a waste not to learn one the oldest writing systems still in usage (4000 years?) and be able to read LOTS of Chinese...
Kanjis can be tough but without them it isn't possible to speak Japanese decently neither find a job. Well, it depends on what kind of Japanese one wants to learn. If one wants to enter college in Japan JLPT is a MUST . Apart from the knowledge side, I think is a waste not to learn one the oldest writing systems still in usage (4000 years?) and be able to read LOTS of Chinese...