It's great that you want to learn Japanese; if you haven't studied other languages before, this is an especially brave decision. To learn Japanese involves many new skills; you have to speak, read and write in a completely new manner and even master a new alphabet. You know that this is more complicated than just learning a list of words to remember! This isn't to say that it can't be done. This is something you can definitely do if you make up your mind to do it. It is a lot simpler if you use some proven techniques in your course of study. Here are a few tricks and tips that you can use to help your learning process along.
Consider how you are most comfortable learning. There are some people who absorb languages best by listening to a person or tape and then writing down what they've heard syllable by syllable.
Another option is to learn how to write the characters as a first step. When you consider the mechanics of a language with a different alphabet than your own, you really will make the best progress by sticking to one method of study. If you try to use more than one system at the same time, it's likely that you will get mixed up and you will find Japanese even harder than it needs to be. All you have to do is start by taking your own learning preferences into account. You also have to learn the basic characters used in Japanese. It's not necessary to learn spelling when you get started; learn first of all how to recognize the characters and how to pronounce them. Even if you aren't perfect, you can then write down the phonetic equivalent of any phrases you are trying to speak. This is very useful if you ever go to Japan and are not yet fluent enough to be able to speak confidently. If you can write down words even phonetically, you'll find that you can communicate when you have to; you'll also be learning how to read in the new language.
You should also play any Japanese audio programs you are using at times when you aren't consciously trying to learn. Yes, there is quite a lot to be said to learning a language directly through lessons and practice drills. The subconscious also absorbs information, however, even when you aren't aware of it. You have nothing to lose by trying this method; simply let your programs play on your drive to work, when you're at home or anytime. Every time the vocabulary and phrases are repeated, a part of your mind is taking this in and remembering it. You may be surprised at how much you can recall from these sessions! You could try what is known as sleep learning, letting the recordings play as you sleep!
Studying Japanese, especially as an adult, is a challenging task and to take it upon yourself is praiseworthy. There is no denying that Japanese can be a hard language to learn, but once you do you'll have a lifelong skill! If you ever want to travel to Japan or become familiar with its culture, learning Japanese will really help you! You'd be able to enjoy an Anime movie and you would not even need subtitles to read!You could show off your language skills by renting Anime movies without subtitles and narrate them to your friends!
Wouldn't that be fun? Of course, if you ever want to visit Japan, knowing the language would be a great advantage to have. Then, if you ever want to study another Eastern language, it would be much simpler to do. It's unquestionable that learning another language can only help you!