From Romaji to Kanji/Kana - Where do I begin?

[williamst4334]

I'm a newbie to the Japanese language. So far, I've only been using the romaji to learn as it is 10x easier. But I know I will need to master the kanji/kana, etc. My trouble is not understanding how the language is built. For example: where do I learn the basic elements and what the Japanese characters mean? How do I know when to pronounce the "u" in certain words? Where are these basic elements lessons found on this site (if any)? And what's the best way for an adult to learn the kanji/kana, etc.?

I hope my question makes sense and someone can point me in the right direction. This seems like a great site, but all of the information is a bit overwhelming. Looking forward to some responses!

[Javizy]

These two recent threads have some relevant discussions about kanji and what not.

http://www.japanesepod101.com/forum/vie ... php?t=5194
http://www.japanesepod101.com/forum/vie ... php?t=5190

As for the basics of the writing system, you're better off checking the wiki page, or googling 'Japanese writing system' or something like that. Basically, you need to start off learning hiragana and katakana and then move on to kanji.