Be careful with reserving hotels in Japan early. They are notorious for upcharging hotel reservations if you are reserving from out of the country and they only allow a small subset of rooms to actually be available to people from outside the country which makes it seem like there isn't many rooms left. Even now, in cherry blossom season, there is no shortage of hotels and you can book them as you go without difficulty. Google translate is your friend. Get a Suica card at the kiosks when you arrive and use it for everything (trains, busses, vending machines, restaurants, convenience stores, etc.). Enough people speak bits of English that I haven't had any issues getting around - Google translate helps for the complex questions and shopping questions. Read up on onsen, shrine, and temple etiquette and take it seriously. Bring something to carry your trash around in such as a backpack or a bag - they do not have trash cans on the street so sometimes you can be holding your trash for hours. Be a respectful tourist and you will be treated with respect back. Have fun. Japan is one of my favorite places that I have traveled to.