how did some of you guys get to Japan early!?

Hi! For context, I'm in high school, and Japan has been at the top of my bucket list for years. Unfortunately, my parents don't share the same interests, and so a family vacation there is out of the question. I wouldn't be going till a few years later, but I would still prefer to go in my late teens (after graduation) or early twenties.

It's not the most ideal time considering expenses (being a college student, etc), but I would be going with 2-3 other people, and that might make it a little cheaper. I know some people are going to tell me to "wait", but with my personal situation, if I wait till I have good money/out of college, I probably will never get to go.

I've looked into a few options, but they each have their own pros and cons. I've saved up decently from working, but I just wanted to know if there were people out there who managed to go there early, and how so?