[Housetek]

check out my extensive guide to tokyo

it answers all your questions

but to breifly go over some

try using a Travel agency rather online, they seem to give better prices.

never use orbits cuz they are horrible.

expedia will cost the average price around 1400-2000

try to get flights not on the weekends and during a time that doesnt have heavy holidays and air traffic

you can get by with out speaking a lot of japanese.

i hardly knew any thing at all when i first came.

mostly every thing that is written in kanji/hiaragana/katakana has english under it.

lil tip, write down the places you live and places you frequently travel to on a peice of paper and see if you can get some one to translate and rewrite it in Japanese.

that way you can get back easier thru taxi or just asking Bus drivers or subway/train attendents.

peace

-ht