Visiting Japan in less than ten days. URGENT?

Question:

OK, so I'm visiting the land of the rising sun august first and I just dint speak nor read a lick of Japanese. I know the Hiragana kana but very rusty and not useable. getting there solo and wont be with any English speaking people until i arrive at my hotel. ANYWAY when I arrive in Japan ill be at the Osaka airport - QUESTIONS. I plan on exchanging money there, will that be extremely hard for me? Could you give me some advice as to what that experience will be like? Ill have to go get a bus ticket from a kiosk. Will the kiosk be ridiculously hard to use. Will i have to find a specific ticket for the bus im taking? All I know is the ticket will cost 1000 yen, any advice as to how i will operate the kiosk will be amazing. so riding the bus i arrive at the bus station closet to where my hotel is. Here i can either take the 16 minute walk because I have a nice backpackers luggage that will be on my back there. OR (recommended) take a taxi. How in the hell (excuse language) will I tell a Taxi where i need to go. I would have NO IDEA where to tell him, I mean the hotel does have an English name but I really am expecting people to not understand me to the farthest extent. So any advice on the taxi situation. those are the urgent questions. Now as for other questions if any one has any advice for me for japan ill be in Osaka, Koyasan, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Mt Fuji area, & Tokyo! So if you can think of anything you think would be useful to know please fill me in! :) thanks

Answer:

First, CALM DOWN. You can easily get money exchanged at the airport - the forms are in English as well as Japanese.
Just write down where you're going and tell the person at the bus counter, as well as the taxi driver.
If it is very obscure, write down the phone number there as well and they can call them up if needed to get the exact directions. Frankly there is not much in Osaka, but Kyoto and Nara are very nice, and if you can spare the time spend half a day to a full day in Kamakura.
To get more detailed info on where to go, try looking at
www.jnto.go.jp
Wear lots of light clothing - you are going to be sweating your behind off in August. Make sure you are drinking enough fluids during the day as well.