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Originally Posted by Jing
I was also looking to head to japan in aug. Is the language barrier quite severe? Will I be able to get around on the subway by myself? Should I look into a guided tour if traveling by myself?
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In major centres you won't have a problem. Bilingual signs, train announcements and a critical mass of tourists has made it pretty easy to get along.
If you head out to the sticks you may think you'll run into problems, but in my experience what the people in the rural areas lack of in terms of language ability they make up for in sheer hospitality, so you never feel totally out of place.
Oh, and one more Tokyo suggestion - Nezu. Great old neighbourhood that's off the beaten tracks.