Heading to Japan in a couple of months, what should I expect?

Question:

How bad would the language barrier be in Japan?
What is there to do there?
What is the general outlook on white people?
Historical places to visit?
Cuisine?

I'm heading there blindly with a friend for the summer, we know zero Japanese. I'm trusting him to know what activities there are there, but a second opinion is always nice. Are certain people treated differently there? I've heard horror stories of Japanese men being very much against white males (especially when it comes to their women), and as over-generalized as that sounds, safety first :3.

Answer:

How bad would the language barrier be in Japan?
> If you are staying on big cities like Tokyo & Osaka, it wouldn't be too bad. Many Japanese can understand and speak basic English. It's best to talk to young Japanese adults if you want to ask for directions, as they can speak English better than the older ones.

What is there to do there?
> Depending on where you are going, there are lots to do. Generally, you can enjoy eating, shopping, sight seeing, go to a public bath or "sento", nightlife, etc.

What is the general outlook on white people?
>You'll be just treated like a tourist. Most are indifferent and do not care about foreigners anymore. As long as you don't cause trouble.

Historical places to visit?
> Tokyo has Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, temples in Asakusa. Or you can travel more away from Tokyo like in Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, Tottori, Hiroshima, etc for more historical places. and more sights to see. It's just easy by riding a shinkansen.

Cuisine?
>sushi, sashimi, ramen, donburi, yakiniku etc. Every city has their own specialty so be sure to eat those like okonomiyaki in Osaka and Hakata ramen here in Fukuoka.