Ok so this is basically copy-paste from the genshiken forum. Some really useful resources:
Okz.. here are some new and interesting sources I have discovered traversing the interweb.
http://www.nihongo2.com/dictionary/dictionary.html - probably better than Tae Kim for grammar
www.polusharie.com - ok this probably isn't much use for anyone else but its a really good forum about linguistics and language acquisition - only problem is that its in Russian.
www.alljapaneseallthetime.com - famous "method" for learning Japanese. Has a lot of good tips
http://www.asahi.com/ - Japanese newspaper - use it if you want to read some articles - even if you can't read kanji its still good practice with rikaichan.
http://www.tanos.co.uk/jlpt/ - has a list of all vocab and grammar needed for all jlpt levels - very useful
http://www.nicovideo.jp/ - ニコニコ動画 its basically a Japanese youtube. you need to register to watch but its free. A fun way to practice your listening and reading.
http://otokorashii.blogspot.com/ - an interesting blog for people studying for jlpt 2/1 - makes posts on grammar/vocab points/random interesting facts about Japanese
http://thedailyyoji.blogspot.com/ - a blog dedicated to 四字熟語 (yojijukugo) - basically Japanese idioms. Very interesting. Not only gives insight into the language but also has loads of cultural/historical info.
Ok, here are some textbooks I would recommend:
For absolute beginners: Minna no nihongo shokyuu 1（皆の日本語初級１）
Genki 1
Japanese for Busy People 1
As you progress there are more advanced books in each of those series.
Here are other textbooks which I think are indispensible, possibly more important than the above:
A Dictionary of Basic (Intermediate, Advanced) Japanese Grammar. These three books contain comprehensive listings of Japanese grammar in dictionary format with examples etc. I would highly recommend getting them.
500 Essential Japanese Expressions （どんな時どう使う日本語表現文型500 ） - This is an amazing textbook for learning grammar. Probably the best out there. Would definitely recommend it if you are studying for jlpt2/jlpt1
Here is what I would recommend if you are studying kanji:
The Basic/Intermediate Kanji Book series by Chieko Kano et al. I'm busy using these books myself at the moment - on Intermediate Book 1. These books teach the first 1000 kanji through lessons with writing practice, examples, vocabularly and lots of reading practice. They are a great way to learn kanji, especially if used in combination with an SRS programme like anki or mnemosyne.
The Kanji in Context series. Another series of textbooks that are great for learning kanji. This series teaches all 2000 kanji required for "fluency". I haven't a chance to see them myself, but apparently also highly recommended and teaches in a similar style to the Basic/Intermediate kanji books.
Thirdly, I would recommend purchasing the different sets of White Rabbit Kanji flashcards (www.whiterabbitpress.com). These are probably the best physical flashcards out there for learning kanji. They are divded into sets based on JLPT level, and each card contains 6 vocab words containg that kanji, as well as numerous other information such as stroke order, similar kanji etc. A friend of mine learnt all 2000 kanji in a month using these flashcards, so they are definitely recommended (admittedly he studied 10 - 12 hours a day).
All the textbooks/flashcards mentioned above are available from www.thejapanshop.com, which ships to SOuth Africa. A lot of them are also available on either the US of Japanese Amazon.
Hope that helps. がんばって皆！
