How difficult is the language barrier for tourists?
I'm planning my first trip to Japan this September and, to be honest, the language barrier is probably my biggest concern.
I don't speak any Japanese, and with the trip only a few months away I realistically don't have enough time to learn more than a few basic phrases. I've been doing some research on ways to make things easier, especially when it comes to asking for directions, ordering food, and having simple conversations.
One thing I came across was Halliday AI glasses, which apparently offer real-time translation. The idea of seeing translations while talking to people sounds pretty useful, but I have no idea how well it actually works in practice.
For those of you who have visited Japan without knowing Japanese, how challenging was it? Did you mostly rely on Google Translate, translation devices, or something else?