Some more interesting things to consider when visiting Japan:

When looking for English speakers, keep in mind that high-school dropouts and delinquents probably didn't master the language. When I went to a yatai stand (food stall) in Fukuoka and asked the attendant if he spoke English, I got the usual "dekimasen" and the cold shoulder. I didn't think about it until that moment, but it makes sense a guy running a food stall probably didn't do too well in his high school studies (when they take higher level English courses), and opted for a vocational or food service career. Don't let it discourage you, I got something to eat and drink at that stand anyway and had a blast talking and getting drunk with some of the locals who did speak English.

Vocabulary:

sore: that
dare: who
kore: this, here (not location); for pointing out your selection

doko: where (usage: Tokyo eki, doko desu ka, meaning: "Where is Tokyo station?")
koko (de): here (location)

When ordering ramen, they'll ask you something that I didn't understand at the time, but it turns out they're asking what style you want. Typically the four choices are tonkatsu (pork soup base, southern regions), shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce, Tokyo style), or miso (northern, Hokkaido style). You can get all 4 types in any region, though a given type is the specialty of the restaurant in that region.