I'm about to be a foreigner in Japan in about a week. I'm a Korean American who's going off to Japan for two weeks on vacation. Only problem is I don't know anyone there, I don't speak Japanese (I've been learning Hiragana but realized it wouldn't help me much cause all the street signs and signs of cities are in Kanji...), and I'm going alone. I was wondering if someone would be willing to hang out with me (preferably Japanese). I'm thinking about heading out to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Sapporo. Let me know and thanks for any help.
All those major cities you plan to visit have English signs.
Unless you are in small alleys, you should know your whereabouts.
With a good map in hand and a few Japanese phrases, you should be able to get around. Even if you get lost, to explore the country and feel it by your own is the way I would do, far better than a packaged tour.