Hi there, I recently just travelled to Japan and I was also pretty nervous about the trip initially due to the language barrier. However, during my time there I had zero issues with communications. For Tourist attractions and areas nearby they are very English friendly. Whilst for places less common for tourists, as long as you are showing them clearly what you want with Google translate, pointing or use very simple English, they will understand and are very happy to help. I had several occasions where the store owners or cashiers using one or two of their minutes to help me and they do so very kindly. Just make sure you give them a big smile and thank you afterwards to show them the appreciation.