I am about half way through Pimsleur's Japanese I tapes. Although the real test will be when I arrive in Japan, I can already say that I have learned quite a bit. The Pimsleur format is great because it really helps with listening skills and pronunciation. I find the lessons easy to follow along with and I retain most of the vocubalary. I was previously working from the Japanese for Busy People book alone, and I can tell you that the Pimsleur tapes have saved me from mispronouncing a lot of the words I learned. All in all, I am quite pleased with the tapes.However, I cannot say that they are worth the incredibly high price. They are, after all, little more than cassettes/CDs that consist of Japanese speakers repeating words and phrases. I cannot imagine why the price is so high. Were this product about a third of its present price, I would rate it 4 or 5 stars. My advice: buy it used, borrow from a friend, split the cost with someone, or check the library.