what is the best way to study/learn Japanese

I have been studying off and on and I know some vocabulary, but not sentences. I try different ways but doesn't stick help

Have you been picking up some vocabulary from songs and cartoons, or something like that?

Can you find any Japanese language classes in community colleges near you, for example? If you want to learn sentence structures, studying in a structured way would help, and that would mean either attending classes or self-study along a structured textbok. Enjoy learning!

Make exchange friends and use it. Or learn by heat the lyrics or sentences and change the word. The more you use it, the more you speak fluently! Keep trying!

If there were a "best way", everybody would do it. Keep going, and you'll find out what works for you.

if you brush up your listening, watch NHK news programs or NHK nature documentary programs. those are standard and they speak moderately, clearly, and slowly.

There's no quick fix or anything. Get a textbook, start at page 1. There are some good self-learning books out there. You need to start from basic sentence structure and develop from there.

The so-called 'best' method depends on yourlearning style - visual, audio, kinetic(?- hand gestuges, move your hands or tap your foot/feet) etc.
Pick one that fits your style.
Instant ramen yes but instant Japanese, no.

I agree with previous contributors that there is not just one best method. However, what really works for me is daily exposure to the language, and apply it. I try to study some vocabulary by theme and then visit related websites with text or photos to see the words in their "natural habitat". That way words become tools instead of just words.

Whatever method you are comfortable with, the key is self motivation and endurance. Many people say they are interested in Japanese, but few make it to fluency because they find excuses for not studying.

Good luck!

It may sound silly but I sometimes have conversations with myself in Japanese while performing menial tasks such as running errands.

"Where are you going, John? I'm going to the store to buy cheese. Is cheese your favorite food? Yest I like it very much. Did you know that the earliest evidence of cheese-making dates back to 5,500 BC? No I did not, that is very interesting..."

本当に？私もそれを知らなかった。とても面白いね。

Original poster: I have been studying off and on and I know some vocabulary, but not sentences. I try different ways but doesn't stick help

As others have pointed out, what works best for one might not work best for another. A lot depends on your learning style and preferences. Perhaps if you could say a bit more about what works for you (in other learning situations you've encountered in the past, not necessarily related to Japanese), the community might be able to suggest specific textbooks/etc. that could be worth considering.

For starters, you might wish to check out the Human Japanese series (http://www.humanjapanese.com/home).

John: It may sound silly but I sometimes have conversations with myself in Japanese while performing menial tasks such as running errands.

Doesn't sound silly at all, mate - I do it all the time. There isn't really anyone in my household I could practise on so I often do this to nail down pronunciation/vocab and grammar points. If I notice any mistakes in my usage, I also try to scold myself in Japanese. (^_^)