It works for some people, so I would never give this sort of definitive advice. It's a crutch for the early stages, and should be dropped early, but "never" is too prescriptive.

Ignore those people. Renshuu is great but as a total beginner I would also look to YouTube for help. The Japanese From Zero channel has good beginner videos IMO

I think it's also important to set realistic goals. People start learning Japanese because they like anime or manga, but without realistic goals they give up within a year. "Watch anime without subtitles" is a long term goal that trips up people, they need some short term goals to stay motivated.

There are so many free resources for Japanese that it's actually easy to start. Try Duolingo to learn Hirigana and if you enjoy it, you can try something like Renshuu. Both are free!

Unfortunately most people are allergic to the shedded skin of cats, not their hair. Hairless cats also cause allergic reactions.

Well, just as long as you realise you're showing no respect to the locals who don't want you there, just to chase some weird trend, go for it. I can judge whoever I want, it's a free world, and tourists like you who don't respect locals are the worst.

People wanting to go there for this mediocre photo is why the fence has to be there. It's a silly trend that just makes people look like sheep IMO. So many better things to do with your afternoon

There's a website called iTalki where you can find tutors and native speakers. If you already have a good basis and just need practice, it's excellent.

For Japanese, I use Renshuu. It's free, and it's structured to be efficient by using spaces repetition alongside great explanations.

Japanese has more online resources and guides than any other, getting started is easy.

Check out the Japanese From Zero YouTube channel. The books didn't click for me, but the introductory lessons George has on YouTube are great.

Renshuu is a free app that is also excellent.

I third Renshuu - I made more progress there in 6 months than I did in 2.5 years. I bought the lifetime subscription to support the developer, it's an amazing resource. The free version gives you everything you need though.

There are so many English language Japanese learning resources that non-English speakers have a way harder time to learn it. Being an American gives you a massive advantage over someone who speaks Portuguese or French - they have to learn Japanese through a second language (English)

Check out an app/website called Renshuu. It's a combination of spaced repetition and curated explanations. I made more progress with it in 6 months than I made in 2.5 years of textbooks and Anki.

You might be interested to realise that not every post on the internet is meant for you

I think historians fail to realise that these sort of "well akshully" posts only serve to alienate people and re-enforce the idea that academics are elitists