I know a few Japanese phrases, and have always wanted to know more.

Thanks for posting this.

I studied Japanese for three years in university and gained a minor in the language. During my course we used the Genki textbooks and workbooks which I highly recommend (http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/index_en). These books are fairly easy to purchase in the US and are a reasonable price for a reliable language textbook. 

Definitely check out Tofugu’s website list of resources http://www.tofugu.com/japanese-resources/. I highly recommend Anki for a flashcard SRS program and Tae Kim’s Grammar guide for grammar reference. 

Riccaicedo – http://japaneseclass.jp/ is amazing! Thank you for recommending it!

Good luck with your studies!

I’ve been studying Japanese for a little over three years in college and received a minor in the language. Studying on your own is really difficult if you don’t have a study partner or someone to push you through the frustration of learning a new language. If you have the opportunity to take classes, that in my opinion is the best way to learn Japanese. 

For textbooks, I highly recommend the Genki (http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/index_en) textbook series which can be easily purchased in the US. The people at Tofugu.com (http://www.tofugu.com/japanese-resources/) have put together a great list of resources and reviews on each. Also, check out the Anki SRS (http://ankisrs.net/)program that is recommended on Tofugu, it’s a great resource for not only learning Japanese, but also mastering other languages and subjects. Good luck with your studies!

@riccaicedo – japaneseclass.jp is amazing! I haven’t come across this website before and will definitely look at it some more. Thanks for the recommendation! I’m taking JLPT N2 in December and need to review like crazy to be prepared lol.

@alison best of luck with the N2 in December!

I don’t want to brag, but I already passed N1 : ). However, I’ve been studying for twice as long as you, so I’m definitely a slow learner.