Easy as Ke-ki - Full site design coming soon!

In the mean time...

To get you started and for a bit of fun, check out GenkiJapan!.net.

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To get set up
The Japanese writing system
Grammar
Vocabulary
Putting it all together

To get set up

1. Set up your computer to handle Japanese.
2. Install the Rikaichan plug-in for Firefox.

Writing Kanji

Hiragana　ひらがな - Base syllabary used for grammar, vocab, and sounding out Kanji as Furigana.
Katakana　カタカナ - Syllabary used for foreign words and emphasis.
Kanji　漢字 - Logographic Chinese characters which make up the start of most vocab words.

Before you do anything more with Japanese you must learn Hiragana*. There are people out there who decide to learn Japanese knowing only Romaji because it seems more comfortable to them to use the Roman alphabet, but in the end you will pay for this! It is important to gain fluency with real Japanese characters so that later you're not struggling to identify words you already know.

Hiragana & Katakana - Learn the sounds | Practice | Write
Kanji - Buy this awesome book | Practice with flashcards | Look up Kanji you see

* If you're just looking to learn Japanese for a holiday and don't intend to thoroughly learn the language I would:

a) tell you that this is not the right site for you, and
b) suggest learning Katakana instead as your first task since this is what you will often see English words written in.

Grammar

You will want to be careful when selecting who your teacher is for Japanese grammar because a lot of sources out there will try to fit Japanese into the English speaker's way of thinking and hence tell you guidelines that are misleading.

For example, one pet peeve of mine is when people tell you that です("desu") means "to be". So when you say something like 「私はアメリカ人です。」 (I am an American) you are literally saying "I American am". This is not true! です only makes the sentence polite. In fact, 「私はアメリカ人。」 without the です is just as valid a way to say "I am an American" (though less polite). This is something you might have trouble grasping if believed the aforementioned grammar "rule".

So in summary, I would highly recommend Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese as your one and only stop for Japanese grammar.
(They even have an iPhone app!)

Vocabulary

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, JLPT Study is a must have app for learning vocab. I study with this app every day during my commute or before bed and it is great because it tells you when words need reviewing. Also, if you are good about keeping up with it, it keeps you on a schedule so you don't forget what you've learned.

Other resources to get you started: Audio Phrasebook | Calendar vocab | J-Edutainment: Japanese Vocabulary Over Beats Podcast | JLPT Vocabulary

Putting it all together

Learning a language is like taking on a lifestyle. To get the most out of it, it needs to become part of your regular routine.

Waiting on a friend? Study Japanese.
Commuting? Study Japanese.
Want to relax? Watch a Japanese show with subtitles, read a manga in Japanese, or listen to Japanese music.

The more excuses you can come up with to surround yourself in Japanese the faster and better you'll learn. Plus it's a great way to make it fun!

頑張って！(Do your best!)

Radio
You can listen to Japanese Radio stations with TuneIn. (They also have a mobile app!)

Shopping
If you're near central London, Japan Centre is a great place to buy Japanese food.
Want to buy Japanese books? Check out JP Books located next to the Regent street Japan Centre.

Shows & Movies
Watching Japanese shows with English subtitles is a great way to:

a) Re-enforce the Japanese you've learned,
b) Learn what context different words or expressions are used in,
c) Learn new vocab or expressions without even really trying!

Here are some of my favourites:

Anime Title	Genre	Description
Death Note	Fantasy	A guy named Light finds a notebook that kills anyone who's name you write in it. He decides to use it to kill all criminals.
Peach Girl	Romance	Momo, ex-member of the swim team, is labelled a play girl for her tan skin and bleached hair. To top it off her one "friend", Sae, is out to steal all that Momo holds dear. Will Momo be able to find happiness in love while her best friend continues to intervene?
Skip Beat!	Romance	Kyoko tries to become a pop star to get back at her ex-boyfriend, but in the process finds something a bit more meaningful.
Itazura na Kiss	Romance	Kotoko falls for Naoki but he treats her cruelly. After ending up in the same household (their dads are old friends), things develop for the better.
Kaichou wa Maid-sama!	Romance	Hot-headed student president works at a maid cafe on the side in secret. Gets found out by a popular aloof boy who takes to liking her.
Emma: A Victorian Romance	Romance	Set in Victorian London where Emma's a maid. William, a gentleman, falls for her and they face the struggle of being in different social classes.
Hanasakeru Seishounen	Romance	Kajika Burnsworth's father offers to play a game with her - he will tell her a secret about her past if she chooses a husband out of the candidates he has chosen for her.
B Gata H Kei	Romance	Yamada's goal is to have 100 sex partners but ends up falling for just one guy.
Hana Yori Dango	Romance	Girl falls for one of the elite F4 (four rich boys who rule the school).
Kare Kano	Romance	The top two students of the school fall for each other. She hides her less perfect self. He hides his broken childhood.
Special A	Romance	The top 7 students of the school go through life together (Their classroom is a greenhouse!). Hikari (ranked #2) spends her life competing with Takeshima Kei (ranked #1).
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu	Romance	An ordinary guy discovers the nerdy secret of a popular girl named Haruka.
Good Morning Call	Romance	Only one episode but cute and sweet. Girl misses her boyfriend's birthday.
Bakuman	Slice of Life	Two guys follow their dream of becoming famous manga authors.

Drama Title	Genre	Description
Hana Yori Dango	Romance	Live adaptation of the anime listed above. Girl falls for one of the elite F4 (four rich boys who rule the school).
Love Shuffle	Romance	After getting stuck in an elevator together three guys and one girl decide to do a round the table dating trade of their significant others. In the process they end up learning a lot about themselves and what they really want.
My Boss My Hero	Slice of Life	Makio, nicknamed "Tornado" for his abillty to take down whole groups of men by himself, is the heir to a Japanese mafia gang. However, he's not very smart. After messing up a large transation because of his inabillty to add basic numbers, his father tells him he must enroll and graduate from highschool or else face giving over the family business to his younger brother Mikio.