I would assume that you spend a fair amount of time studying Japanese grammar, how to read and write Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji and working on your listening and speaking skills. But how much time do you spend on your Japanese pronunciation and intonation?
Most likely, much less time than you should. They tend to fall to the bottom of your to-do list because they are not tested, or because your Japanese teacher is not a native speaker.

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I have seen a number of Japanese learners over the years both in Japan and overseas, and some of them speak with perfect or near-perfect grammar. However, I have rarely seen anyone with perfect or near-perfect pronunciation, and this always puzzled me, especially as I have heard some Japanese learners saying that Japanese pronunciation is relatively easy compared to other languages. As a voice-over artist and long time avid English learner myself, I have a fine-tuned ear and I admit that I tend to pick up on the pronunciation mistakes that Japanese learners make more than others. However, I would like to stress that I am a firm believer that learning a language is not just to make yourself understood. With good pronunciation and intonation, you will have smoother and deeper communication. Suppose you are a tourist in another country asking for directions, then making yourself understood is good enough. However, if you are a student in another country or are there for business, only making yourself understood might get you through, but the chances are that communication may be interrupted or patchy, and some guessing required for the listener. With improved pronunciation and intonation, your message is comprehended more directly, and you will establish a better friendship or working relationship with the other person.

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There are two main reasons why Japanese learners do not speak with correct pronunciation and intonation.　One is that Japanese pronunciation—more precisely, Japanese pitch accent—is difficult to acquire.　The Japanese language has its own unique rhythm and accent patterns that are very different from those of other languages, including English.
Even some native Japanese speakers make mistakes without realizing it.　I often need to check my own pitch accent when reading a script for my voice-over work.
If pitch accent is challenging even for native speakers, then it is, of course, even more difficult for non-native learners.

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The second reason is that Japanese learners do not spend enough time working specifically on pronunciation and intonation.　How often does your Japanese teacher or conversation partner correct these aspects of your speech, compared to how often they correct grammatical mistakes?　Please don’t get me wrong—I understand that you don’t want to be interrupted every time you mispronounce a word while you’re trying to build speaking fluency.　However, to improve your pronunciation and intonation, you need to set aside dedicated time for that purpose.　As you spend more time focusing on how Japanese actually sounds, your ear will gradually learn to pick up subtle differences in pitch.
You will begin to listen differently to the way native Japanese speakers talk.

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There is no silver bullet for perfect pronunciation and intonation in any language.
It takes patience and consistent effort. Still, every small step matters.
When you pay attention not only to what you say but also to how you say it, your language learning journey becomes far more enjoyable and rewarding.

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If you are interested in my speaking lessons, I would be happy to hear from you.
I look forward to supporting you on your language learning journey.

                                                                                     - Miki

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