I've been waiting to do this one. Why? Because Pimsleur offers amazing audio tapes for a multitude of languages! What's more is that they do them well. As a repititious learner, these CDs did wonders for me. They also made me go broke, but the price is well worth it, and if you can get it used, it should only cost you little more than $100. Pimsleur's motto says that you don't have to read Japanese at all, the point of fluency being able to hold casual conversation. I don't agree with the Stroll Learning company on that one, so I do recommend that you learn Hiragana at least before tackling these. The pronunciation guide is very good, but if you start with, say, Power Japanese , you'll be able to master it faster and with much more accuracy. Now, one thing I do agree with Pimsleur on is this: the reason why no one remembers the languages they "learned" in high school is simply this: they don't teach you how to actually speak. They teach you a bunch...
The Genki Japan blog is a blog solely about Japan and all the things that make it great, or not so great. I strive to bring a variety of topics to the table and try not to focus too much on a single issue. I hope you'll find it fun and informative. BLOG HAS MOVED! Tanoshinihongo.com is the new web address. I will continue to simultaneously update both Genki and the new blog, Tanoshinihongo.com for the time being.