There are numerous very good YOUTUBE videos giving tips on visiting Japan and I do recommend watching them if you are considering this journey.
Seven Eleven
There are approximately 60,000 Seven Eleven convenience stores in Japan. While I would rarely darken the door of a convenience store in the USA, this place can be a lifeline in Japan. Because it is a US company, you can use your ATM card here---and most Japanese banks don't honor them. When restaurants (usually only a few seats throughout the country) are full to overflowing (11:30am to 2pm and after 5pm), you can stop in and eat very tasty food that you can microwave and even sit down at a table. They also have a variety of sundries and for me, they sell Diet Coke. Until I ever actualize my New Year's resolution to stop drinking it, I will be stopping at 7-Eleven while in Japan. And they have trashcans--more on that later.
Language Barrier
I very rarely make a trip without learning at least enough of a country's native tongue to "get by," but I did not do that for Japan. I did some "on the go." We didn't find the language barrier a major issue. Most Japanese people have at least a minor familiarity with common English phrases. Signs in major cities are typically in both Japanese and English and the same in the subway. Even a bigger factor is that Japanese people are unendingly polite and helpful and will go out of their way to help, even if they don't understand you. Google translate was a big help on occasion as well. And there's charades which works pretty well when all else fails. That said, it is a good idea to carry the card of your hotel in Japanese in case you get inextricably lost and to have someone write down destinations in Japanese just in case.
Toilets
The Japanese have taken the potty out of the closet and elevated it to an art form. Seriously, this thing has a heated seat (hence nearly every bathroom will be unseasonably warm) and do all sorts of below the waste washing at various widths, lengths, pressures and temperatures. Then it'll blow dry the netherlands. It will even make a noise if you want to hide your farts or hide indiscrete production of #2 in a public place, if you want. If you get in more remote locations, you will find Asian traditional toilets (I call them squatty potties), but most of the time there is at least one Western toilet. Toilet paper is nearly always available. If all the instructions on your throne are in Japanese and you can't figure out which one means "flush," my advice is stand up and wait a minute. Many flush automatically. If that fails, look for the handle. Even if there is a special button, most of them still have a manual flush. If that doesn't work, CLOSE THE LID and push every single button. You could do it while sitting on the toilet, but you'll end up with a wet bum and who wants that, especially after the blow-dry feature?
RESTAURANTS
Although quite quaint and cheerful and FULL of great food, most restaurants even in major cities are TINY establishments, many only seating 6-12 people. Same with bars. And Japanese cities have some of the largest populations on the planet. If you eat during regular eating hours, you need to be a patient person who is disturbed by queueing. Some lunch restaurants close at 2pm and open back up in the afternoon. Japanese are NOT related to Spanish, French and Portuguese people and aren't really a late night dining crowd, although you can usually find something open. Osaka might be the exception to this as it is a big street food town. Here are some hints for dining: 1. Don't eat during peak hours. If you can stagger a bit off the usual times when crowds have thinned, your wait may be shorter or non-existent. 2. The majority of Japanese restaurants do NOT take reservations, but some do. Expect hotels everywhere and finer dining establishments in major cities to allow for reservations, but generally at a more expensive rate. Reservations are different in that you don't always get an English translation, you have to specify the gender of guests, you specify what the occasion is (there are usually no less than 20 choices for occasions from wedding, anniversary, birthday, friends dinner, date night, business meeting, hen party, etc etc.) and also date and time. You may have to pre-order how many courses you want to some extent if the restaurant doesn't have a la carte. Two restaurants we dined in had us specify what courses we wanted and then when we arrived, there was only one course---what the chef wanted to serve. And it was great! So please don't let me discourage you from making a reservation. 3. 7-11. Yep. The food is very decent, convenient and cheap. And they have seating.
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