learning Japanese

I'd like to learn japanese, but i have no idea how to start. Do you have any suggestions what book i should buy? There are no teachers or japanese courses around here.

Thanks a lot for the answers!

The Japanese for busy people series has served me well to get started but I would certainly seek out somebody to help you with grammar, pronunciation and understanding spoken Japanese by a native speaker.

The textbooks most widely used in introductory Japanese classes at universities right now is probably the Genki series (just Google it). I am not personally familiar with it, however, since I used Yookoso (which was the standard before Genki came along). Mostly everyone says Genki is superior to Yookoso, though, which I'm totally willing to believe (Yookoso is good but not perfect).

I am a beginner in learning Japanese. I am using Japanesepod101 to educate me. It has online language lessons and is presented in a creative and interesting way. It has lessons that are suitable for all levels from beginner to advanced.

burratino, it's polite and customary to start your own thread instead of hijacking another one. That way more people will see it.

Minna No Nihongo was pretty popular back in the days (although I didn't use it(.

Genki was the book that I used during my Japanese classes at university (not a major in Japanese, so all I used were Genki I and II over a period of 3 to 4 years).

It is well written and explained, but if not updated by now, some of the vocabulary and images might be outdated. It is still worth buying though. Either Genki or Minna no Nihongo should get you to elementary level proficiency.

If you want to increase your Kanji knowledge, then I would recommend 2001 Kanji Odyssey. For vocabulary I recommend the Speed Master series.

For me the most efficient way to learn is to set a JLPT goal, even when I decide not to take the test. I would check the requirements to pass a certain level, and then work towards those requirements within a certain time. Learning without goals always caused me to stop or become lazy after a while in the past.