have any of you checked out http://www.japanesepod101.com/? they have a podcast available on ITunes, which is where i discovered them, but at their website they have an extensive variety of lessons ranging from free to a premium with direct teacher feedback. there's a free trial of their basic premium account too which includes use of their learning library, vids, kanji and kana and from newbie to advanced lessons. if you really want to immerse yourself without a huge initial outlay, check it out. they are starting a chinese podcast series too, btw. these are the guys behind the excellent Survival Phrases podcasts.

i also enjoyed the podcast Learn Japanese with Beb and Alex. http://japanese.libsyn.com/ you'll come across their Fun Friday videos on YouTube sometimes. Japanese with an Osaka flavor and a bit of silliness sometimes thrown in. Alex Brooke is the guy behind this one. not as complex as the above, but an often entertaining adjunct to whatever you do. i've also gotten a lot of the recommended books like Kodansha's furigana Japanese dictionary or Kanji Learner's dictionary from Amazon. my only excuse for not speaking or writing better is a memory like a sieve.