Do you recommend a guide for multi-city travel in Japan

Hi there seasoned japan travelers,
I’ve never been to Japan and my wife and I would love to go to Japan for a number of bucket list experiences. We love landscape and wildlife photography, aquascaping and aquariums, pens and stationary and culinary/ cultural activities and tours. We are also a bit concerned about the language barrier and navigating through the complex train and regional travel inside Japan. Would you recommend hiring a private guide for the trip for a pair of 55+ who would prefer to be less stressed during the trip. Or are we overthinking this… I’d appreciate as much advice as possible for planning our first trip to Japan. Thanks in advance

by National_Cow7479