how to change language from Japanese to english?

See this -> iPod: Changing the display language
"a - Scroll down to the last menu option but don't select it.
b - Scroll up one menu item. This should be Settings.
c - Press the Center (Select) button. This takes you to the Settings menu.
d - Scroll down to the last menu option but don't select it; in English, this is the "Reset All Settings" option.
e - Scroll up to the third menu item from the bottom one. This should be Language.
f - Press the Center button to select Language.
g - Select your preferred language from the list."

Hello Brian S. Campbell,

I would check out this article that provides instructions on how to change it back to English without having to restore the iPod. It tells you how far down which options are that you need to access, so even if you don't know Japanese it should help you accomplish this task.

http://www.tech-faq.com/change-language-ipod.shtml

Hope it helps.

B-rock