The Japanese version is generally considered the "raw" experience, lacking several quality-of-life additions made during the English localization:

Units can promote not just once, but twice, reaching ultimate powerhouse classes like Trueblade, Sentinel, and Archsage.

: Western versions used only the "Basic Script" for all difficulties, resulting in a loss of roughly 5% of the story content , including key hints about the Black Knight’s identity. Difficulty and Gameplay Mechanics

One of the most notable features of the JPN version is the presence of two distinct scripts.

Have you played the Japanese version of Radiant Dawn? What difficulty did you attempt first? Share your war stories in the comments below.