still a newb but i've been learning for 1.5 years or so, my method is similar to other anons. i started with JLAB (japanese like a breeze), which is an anki deck with tae kim's grammar book integrated into it, i found that a good place to start.. knowing grammar first makes it much easier to understand how words are used and constructed in context(passive, volitional, causative, etc). kaishi 1.5k is a competent deck for vocab, eventually you make your own. immersion is the most important part though, for reading and listening comprehension. anki only goes so far.

imagine you're a prisoner of war in a japanese internment camp and you need to understand what those gooks are saying as quickly as possible so you they don't beat the shit out of you and take your rice rations. (;´Д`)