I mean, I'd still visit Japan for the food and culture.

But if wanna do skiing, Europe and Americas have a better experience for lesser cost. That's my 2c.

Ryokans generally quite similar in that they use tatami (straw) mats, and the materials used are like, lots of wood, lots of paper. More expensive Ryokans of course will have higher quality furnishings and maybe larger rooms and better service.

Bedding is generally futon, which IMO is the weakest part of the experience, because I've yet to experience a really comfortable futon.





The ryokan may or may not have an attached bathroom (depending on price), however many of them will not have attached shower facilities, you will need to go to the public bath / onsen. The one below is from cheap ryokan so it looks small. Expensive ryokans will have huge, sprawling, onsen (e.g. the one at noboribetsu has like 5 different types of onsen water in dozens of different baths).

Day 9: Asakusa, Ameyoko, Cup Ice Museum, Ueno Park.

Anyway our flight back home was on Day 9, so this is actually just like a half day of sightseeing. First we went to Nakamise area to have our favorite melonpan and taiyaki in the world. Oh we also got some daifuku. Took away everything and went back up to eat in hotel room.



Then we went shopping in Ameyoko (no photo cos well, we were only shopping).

Then we were hungry and saw a double-double cheeseburger photo so we ate McDonalds (looolololol)



Then we went all the way to Sunshine City to do more shopping, and also to re-visit the cup ice museum (the shop that has dozens of weird ice cream flavours like snake, soy sauce, chicken wing), only to find out that it was closed zzzzzzzzzz. So bopian, just go and order some random not nice parfait instead.



Amusingly enough at sunshine city there was this parade of uh ... kids with bow ties and a huge cat ... the namjatown equivalent of the disney parade i guess.