Well, I started Japanese about 2 weeks ago. It has been quite easy for me to learn so far. I learned Hiragana and Katakana in about 3 days and believe me I am no genius. After learning Hiragana and Katakana I immediately tried to form sentences with the help of a grammar book and a dictionary, and I immediately begun to practice with Japanese people online or by going to legit sushi restaurants, Japanese bookstores, and other places where I can find native speakers. Most of the time I end up speaking broken Japanese when I don't know how to answer a question. But in my opinion you want to make those mistakes so that you can explore the realm of the language. Another thing I have been doing is having a lot of audio input. I listen to Japanese music, radio stations, watch Japanese TV, and other stuff. I am not saying that you will learn Japanese efficiently by watching anime or listening to music, but this allows you to get used to hearing the language. I also begun to learn Kanji. So far I have learned all characters that kids learn within their first year in elementary school and with the correct stroke order. The stroke order is really important when writing the characters out. I am more than happy to answer questions about the materials I have been using to learn Japanese so feel free to message me. Even though I am not really an expert as of now I can at least share with you how I am approaching the language efficiently. Oh and by the way, I have not spent a single dollar on anything aside from a notebook and some snacks for when studying. Message me anytime you want, maybe we can help each other in a way.

well, its pretty hard. You feel lost, you dont know where to start. So, start with what feels good. is it learning grammar ? or learning phrases that will build the concept of the structure of the language by time ( thats what i pretty much do)? or maybe learning with a teacher? Find your own way to crack the language. best of wishes.