Not a word.

Not a word at the bar either (where you would perhaps most expect it). I liked the young female bartender. She always asked me how my day had gone - but I had to do "show and tell" with pictures from my camera to communicate.

Pretty much limited or no English in other parts of the hotel - except for the concierge staff - which spoke ok (but not fluent) English.

On the other hand - ask yourself - if you went to any RC in a major city like New York - how much Japanese would you find outside the concierge desk? I live in an area that attracts large groups of Japanese golf tourists - and I suspect our Japanese is about the most they'll find when they get here. Assuming they run into us (and if they don't - they'll generally find no Japanese spoken at all).

Think you also have to keep in mind that Osaka is pretty much a business - not a tourist - city. Most western people who wind up in Osaka are by and large there for business - and probably possess some degree of skill in Japanese. Robyn