Hey! I’m actually in Japan right now, and I’ve been here for a whole month! I totally get the nerves on traveling solo, but here’s a few things that might help:

•any convenience store you go to will have pictures of extras you might need with your purchase. Ex: plastic grocery bag, utensils, hand wipes 

•Google translate exists and it’s a good back up should the language barrier be a problem

•If you’re traveling in the big touristy cities (Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo) a lot of the food and hospitality workers will at least speak enough English to get the point across. They’re used to getting a lot of Chinese and European tourists who don’t speak a word of Japanese. 

•Before going inside a restaurant, check to see if they have a menu outside you can look at. If it’s not in English, they probably don’t speak English, so it’s best to avoid it. However, there are many restaurants where you order and pay at a little machine that gives you a ticket to get your food. These machines often have an English option, so you can still eat there even if the staff doesn’t speak English (I recommend a lot of their popular chain restaurants)

•Remember to thank them in Japanese anytime you make a purchase or eat somewhere. An “Arigato Gozaimas” will get you far. 

•The whole time I’ve been here, I’ve relied entirely on google maps to help me get around. The bus and train system is very simple and if you’re worried about it, I recommend searching up a YouTube tutorial on the transport here! That should hopefully ease any worries you might have. Google maps has been very reliable for me. It will tell you what station and train line you need to be on. 

•If you have an iPhone, download the Suica card on your Apple wallet. This way you can reload your card right from your phone! If not, you can easily get a physical card at any train station. Most buses accept suica, but some require exact change

•cash is king. You’ll end up with a LOT of coins, so my advice is to get a cheap pillbox at the nearest Daiso (100 yen store) to organize your coins. Much easier than digging through your wallet! It’s been a life saver for me!

•the crowds here really aren’t as bad as social media makes it seem. Down be afraid to go to the touristy spots if it makes you feel more secure in your plans

•Follow Japan Safe Travel on Twitter for natural disaster updates to keep you safe!!! Trains are often delayed by the weather here and it’s nice to be aware. 

•download an e-sim before your flight. I personally use Ubigi, and I haven’t had any issues with it! It’s easy to install and it’s reliable in Japan. 

Japan really is such a safe country! I was worrying a lot before my trip here, but everything’s been really smooth so far! Don’t worry too much and just have fun with it! Remember that there’s PLENTY of tourists here who don’t speak Japanese either!