My mantra on threads - especially on the Europe board - is "Get you cash from ATM's after you arrive." But from my reading it seems that machines that accept foreign ATM/debit cards are not as widespread in Japan. Post offices and 7Elevens seem to be the go-to locations. 1) Is this still true, and 2) are they easy to find?

We had no problem at all

Yes and yes -- at least IME. Note that the ATMs in post offices are not likely to open 24/7.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2208.html

ATMs at the airport are likely to work with Western cards, too.

Google maps will show you the 7-11s and post offices around your location. Note there are many other brands of conbini (convenience stores) but only 7-11 has the ATMs that work with Western cards.

The logo for a post office is a red T with an extra bar on top.

You should find the airport ATMs will work with a non-Japanese card. Also I didn't　try it myself but I think the Family Mart ATM can also take a foreign card as one of the company insignia's at the ATM machine is Japan Post.....but certainly 7-11's. And Post Offices are very common in Kyoto and Tokyo, and in some you can access the ATM machine even when the PO is closed....

7-11's were the only ATMs that worked for us. Fortunately, they're everywhere. The Family Mart ATMs I tried would not accept our card.

I was able to get cash from an ATM at the airport. I suspect it might have been from a 7-11 ATM as they have standalone ATMs run that through a 7-11 (owned?) bank.

Both Family Mart and 7-11 worked for my BofA ATM card.

thanks -- leaving next week. I'm going to pick up a few ¥ at LAX just to get me started .

I had no problems at all over 17 days. I recall using a 7-Eleven at lest once and suspect I used an airport ATM when I landed at Narita.