Osaka instead of Tokyo

So I'm going to Osaka instead of Tokyo cause we had to move our trip from the time of the disaster to June and we found it more comfortable to go to Osaka. I can speak and understand basic and intermediate Japanese but my friend said Osaka dialect can be very different from the Japanese I was taught.

Is it really that different so that people might not understand what I say?

What about phrases/kanjis? Are they as "easy" to read as in Tokyo for example?

I've never been to Japan so I got many open questions..

Hi I'm not great with Japanese but my friend (who is Japanese) says that she has trouble understanding her friends with an Osaka accent and vice versa.

Another friend of mine who now lives in Osaka had only been taught common Tokyo dialect and had trouble when he first went there. Although his Japanese was exellent they had no idea what he was saying.

I wouldn't be too concerned though, most people in Japan can speak English quite well. If you get stuck i'm sure people will help you.

"most people in Japan can speak English quite well"

good joke?

Anyway, "Aweryn", it's the same language. This is like asking that, if you are familiar with English from the East coast of the US, would you be able to understand what people from the West coast is saying? Don't worry too much about it. What is more, many people have enjoyed their trip to Japan without any knowledge of the Japanese language at all. You should be fine with English.

There are slight differences in the dialect, but the majority of Osakans understand 'standard' Japanese. How else would they be able to watch TV if they didn't? ;)
You will have no problem. I have been to both Tokyo and Osaka and, apart from accents, you will barely notice a difference.

Thanks for your answers, seems like my friend gave some false info (:
Cause this is my first time in Japan and I've been studying Japanese for few years it would be nice to actually use the language as much as possible~!