日本

Wik @wik You will be fine. It's amazing how many people spoke some English. We only encountered a handful of people that didn't but that's where Google translate came in handy. We went to several places. Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Akihabara in Tokyo. Nagoya, Nagano, and Hakone. Kyoto and Osaka. Many of the restaurants had English menus or someone on staff that could help with ordering. Lots of cashiers spoke English. Arc encountered a guy in a figurine store that just wanted to practice his English. He said he started learning 7 months ago and he was already fluent. Really puts into perspective how lazy Americans are with languages lol.

@verucassault Thank you for the heads up! I am planning to visit Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, and Tokyo. I will be mainly staying in Osaka close to the Dotonbori area.

Wik @wik Osaka was fun but lordy the lines got to me by the end of our time there. It was always so busy. We did stay in Dotonbori and it was worth the $ to be within walking distance of everything. Just know that there's lines. But there was a couple of ramen shops open really late. The day we arrived we crashed hard because we were exhausted from all the things we did in Kyoto (loooooved Kyoto). So we passed out, woke up at 2am and went to a ramen shop. By far the best time to go because there was no wait lol.

Dotonbori really surprised me. Downtown Tokyo at shibuya crossing wasnt as crowded at the streets of Dotonbori. From the hours of 10AM to 8PM it is wall to wall stream of people.

It was very rare. We went into a "bar" in Osaka that was "no foreigners allowed". Didn't see the sign before going in. It was empty so I imagine it's either a front or won't be in business long. If you read reviews of food places there's an obvious disdain for foreigners that find and crash a local favorite spots. But for many people, they are glad tourism has picked back up again. It really boosts their economy.

@wik Oh yeah! Visit Fire Cafe in Osaka. Try the Demon Slayer shot. Also, FYI the bar is owned by the guy who punched Johnny Samoli.

Will do, if ever I get a chance to even afford to think about leaving the country for a minute.lol Honestly, I'd probably spend to much time enjoying temples 'n such. I know next to nothing about Japanese culture, but I do love the old aesthetic.

@yaasshat For what it's worth, all locals dislike tourists that makes life difficult. It's just not Japan. I can at least speak from experience when visiting the motherland of the same issues. I'm sure it's the same for us here in California (Just think of Disneyland and all the locals who want to visit but are sick of the crowds). @verucassault I will check it out! Thanks for the heads up about how crowded it can get. I am going to Japan during winter so I am hoping it's less crowded.

@yaasshat Sounds like you would love Kyoto the most. That place was so old school beautiful.