If possible, writing your name inkatakana(a Japanese script with comparatively simple straight lines and curves used for words of foreign origin) will help put your host at ease as it will tell them how to pronounce it. That said, writing in Roman alphabet (rōmaji) is perfectly acceptable. ...
Gestures can help transcend language barriers, and no gesture is more useful in this regard than simply pointing. Point at the souvenir you want to buy in a shop window, at the menu item you can’t pronounce, or at your map when you can’t find your way to an attraction. In some co...