Japanese Pod

I use a variety of tools to teach myself Japanese, but one of my favorites is Japanese Pod 101.

JapanesePod101.com - Learn Japanese with Free Daily Podcasts

The English speaking host makes the series alot of fun to listen too. The native Japanese speakers are very good and easy to listen too. The lessons are up to date and include informal speech as well, which I have not seen in other lessons. I think anyone learning on their own will find this a valuable tool.