17 days in July - a few questions

My wife and I are going to Japan for 17 days in early July. We're flying into Narita and want to spend time in Tokyo, Mt. Fuji area, Kyoto, and Koya-San (Oku-no-in graveyard and Bhuddist temples). We plan to get a 14-day rail pass and activate it once we leave Tokyo so it'll cover the maximum of our trip.

We have a couple questions:
How well will we be able to get around not knowing any Japanese? We've traveled to a few countries where we don't know the language, and are well versed in pointing, sign language, and the like. Will checking in/out of hotels, buying tickets, etc. be doable with limited Japanese?

How much advance booking do we need to do this time of year? Ideally we'd like to find a hotel in Tokyo for the first few days, but then be able to play it by ear from then on. Will we run into problems doing this? Should we make firmer plans?

What's the best way to get from the airport to Tokyo? I've read many posts about this, but it still confuses me a little.

We're very interested in nature and want to make sure we spend some time in the natural parks and bamboo forests. Can anyone recommend good nature spots and activities in the Tokyo-Kyoto parts of the country?

Anyone have experience visting Oku-no-in and the Koya-San temple area? Our guidebook advises staying in the temples and to expect to be put to work. Sounds intriguing. Any experiences there?

Thanks for any help. We're very excited to visit and am enjoying reading others' itineraries on the site!

How well will we be able to get around not knowing any Japanese?

There are lots of English signs and people who can speak some English. It also helps to learn some Japanese phrases and to prepare your trip in advance, including transportation.

Will checking in/out of hotels, buying tickets, etc. be doable with limited Japanese?

It is doable without any Japanese at all. At international hotels you even be talked to in English by default (if you are not Japanese looking).

How much advance booking do we need to do this time of year?

Tokyo: same day booking would likely be possible, but I recommend to book as soon as you have fixed your schedule.

Kyoto can get busy around the peak of the Gion Matsuri (mid July) and generally during the summer holidays (starting around July 20).

The Mount Fuji area can get very busy during the holidays, especially on weekends.

I don't think that Koyasan gets booked, but advance reservations are always recommended.

Will we run into problems doing this? Should we make firmer plans?

Depending on how selective you are with respect to budget range and/or quality, you might run into problems, or at least will lose some time during your travel.

What's the best way to get from the airport to Tokyo?

Depends where in Tokyo you are heading to. General information:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html

Anyone have experience visting Oku-no-in and the Koya-San temple area? Our guidebook advises staying in the temples and to expect to be put to work. Sounds intriguing. Any experiences there?

Unfortunately, I wasn't asked to do any work during my stays, but was rather invited to join the ceremonies. Here are some basics:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html

I was there last Year for 1 Month and will be heading to Japan next Month again (5 weeks).

During that trip, I only met 1 person who was very gut in english. Lots of people can speak english, but....you just have to see it for yourself!!!
I even went to Tourist Information (Information sign in english). The person on that desk spoke some words in english, then look up the dictionary, turned to me and spoke some words again. It took almost about 10 min just to finish 1 question (How do I get to..?). There was then a large Que, that I told hin him ''I can speak a bit Japanese''. Then everything went quickly.

Fact: If you stay in large Cities, it will be OK to move around with English. But if you go outside big Cities, like Villages or places that arent familiar with tourist, that could be a problem. Actually the same, if you visit Europe without knowing German or French :)

A few Japanese helps a lot. But try to speak as simple as possible or they would expect you to know the Japanese very well.

Have a great time.

Hi Ewan

Let me just say that most Japanese speak some English, 'some' being the important word. It is comparable to high school Spanish in the US, for example. Most Japanese will understand some words and pleasantries, but many are too embarrassed to actually use it. This, of course, is not true for everyone.

Taking trains is not a problem. All stations, no matter if they are in a city, or a rural seetting, will have the name in Chinese characters, hiragana, as well as in English. They are always on time and clean. Shinkansen (bullet train) and some (not all) major subway lines in big cities will announce stops in English as an automated announcement.

Buses can be tricky, however. My advice for buses (if you are taking them on your trip) is to ask as many questions as you can where you will be staying. I'm sure they will be more than happy to help.

Restaurants intimidate some visitors to Japan, but please don't let this make you nervous. Part of travelling, at least to me, is to experience something new and maybe go a little outside of your comfort zone. Many hotels in big cities, Kyoto included, will steer foreign travelers to very expensive restaurants where of course the staff will speak English, and the tourist may go home shocked at how expensive it is to eat in Japan.

Don't be afraid to try little restaurants in or near train stations- don't let the Japanese business men or 'sea of black hair' intimidate you. Many of these kinds of places will have plastic displays of the menu choices in the front window, so you can always point to what you want. Some inexpensive soba or ramen noodle places have a ticket machine system, where you are expected to put your money in a machine by the door, and then give your ticket to the person behind the counter. Of course, these machines are all in Japanese, but since you are foreign, they will most likely offer to help.

There is a phrase in Japan which goes, 'Okyaku-sama wa kami sama desu', and it means 'the customer is a god'. You have little to worry about, so please enjoy Japan :-)

Oops, i forgot to address your question of getting to Tokyo from Narita Airport.

You have several choices. I do not know where you are staying, but I would do the following:

Once you clear immigration, get your bags and clear customs, you will be in the arrival area which will have some kiosks, numerous currency exchange booths, and various information desks and probably car rental desks.

Look for the booth that says 'Limousine Bus', or it may even say 'Friendly Limousine Bus' :-) Tell them which hotel you are staying at. If it is a major hotel, most likely there is a bus that goes directly to that hotel. If it is not a major hotel, they will advise you which major hotel is closest to it, and you will take that bus and then a taxi from the major hotel to your hotel. You do not need to make a reservation for the limousine bus, you can just show up after clearing customs and purchase ticket.

I'm sure you have read about Narita Express, which is good, but I only suggest this to people who are familiar with Tokyo, since you will arrive at a major station in Tokyo and it can be intimidating at first, especially if you are jet lagged. The limousine bus may get stuck in traffic, but it is just more stress free for a first time visitor.

I would suggest buying a bottle of cold green tea from one of the vending machines right outside the terminal (where the buses come- you will be told by the attendant at the desk which number bus you need, it is very easy and you just have to walk outside) and drinking it on the bus to Tokyo, as you enjoy the green Chiba farmland and also *ahem* numerous love hotels that line parts of the highway ;-)

http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/