This guide helped me travel around Japan speaking almost no Japanese :) I could find information about specific issues (where to eat and what to eat, for instance), as well as general observations (for example, in the beginning of the book, there's a summary of Japanese History, Culture, Architecture etc)
Every attraction is described considering not only opening and closing hours, address, how to get there (yes, they tell you which bus/train/subway to get) and what to expect, but also a historical context or some extra information.
In the end of the book, there's a glossary. I found it extremely usefull as well ^^
And the best thing is that it provides information not only on the most popular destinations, but also on "off the beaten track" places. And you can always choose between most expensive to budget accomodation and restaurants :)
I strongly recommend it!