First trip to Japan and I am mostly traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto. I only have 12 days from end of November to first week in December.
Still on fence about Nara and Nagano and Snow Monkeys so would appreciate thoughts on those destinations. Snow Monkeys and Fuji trips take up a lot of time even with bullet trains.
When I look for Ryokan I want traditional tatami mats on floor and not modernized for Westerners. Also 2 meals and natural scenery viewed from hot springs.
My daughter says I have to go to Disney Sea as the most popular of all Disney locations. I worry about being able to manage it--Fast Pass, etc..

I can only comment on Nara, which I loved. There is a LOT to see there; I could have used more than 2 full and very busy days. Among other treasured memories:

• The forested walk lined with stone lanterns at Kasuga Taisha.
• The incredibly expressive wooden sculptures of Kofukuji's treasure hall.
• The magnificent calm of the Buddha statue at Chuguji.

SOOooooo much more.....

Good luck with your planning!

You do realize that ryokan pretty much means that you are sitting on the floor or on an extremely low chair (more like a backrest). I am old and not particularly flexible. Sleeping on futons on the floor was fine with me, but as an older westerner I missed having a real chair in my room and at meals.

Disney Sea is owned by the Oriental Land Co. who spent a crazy amount of money on its development. I doubt anyone will build something like it again. It is jaw dropping. And unique unto the world.

We are touring warriors when it comes to theme parks.Which means getting there early before rope drop. Once you do that, getting Fast Passes should be no problem. My only strategy would be to first get an FP for Journey to the Center of the Earth. After that you can play ti by ear.

The themeing fo DS is the top attraction, so just walking around is an awe-inspiring experience. My other tips are 1) Make sure you visit Triton's Kingdom. It is underground and the entrance is easy to miss. and 2) Make sure you do the Fortress Exploration and do all of Leonardo's Challenge. You can ask any cast member at the Fortress for a map in English. These are all stunning spaces.

>> rope drop
using that term means this:
>> We are touring warriors when it comes to theme parks
checks out

>> My daughter says I have to go to Disney Sea
Your daughter is right.

>> When I look for Ryokan
You can find what you are looking for in many places. Here are three.

1) Yudanaka Onsen or Shibu Onsen
About 4 hours travel from Tokyo you can visit the snow monkeys. Find a ryokan that picks you up at the station and that will take you to the spot that is a 15-min walk to the monkey park. Good chance there will be snow.
Jigokudani Monkey Park (Snow Monkeys) - Yamanouchi Travel

2) Kawaguchiko
Aboiut 3 hours from Tokyo. Magnificent views of Fujisan.
It is easy enough to get there, especially if you take the JR Fuji Excursion limited express train that goes all the way from Shinjuku. Book in advance.
Lake Kawaguchiko - Fuji Five Lakes Travel

3) Hakone (i.e. Fuji-Hakone National Park)
About 2 hours from Tokyo. This is easy with lots to see. You can travel to Kyoto from here easily.
Hakone Travel Guide - What to do in Hakone
Tokyo to Hakone: How to get to and around Hakone - Access, Transport and Orientation

Sounds like a fantastic trip! With 12 days, focusing on Tokyo and Kyoto makes sense. Nara is an easy and rewarding day trip from Kyoto—worth it for the deer park and temples. Snow Monkeys are amazing, but it's a long trek; only go if you're okay dedicating a full day. For a traditional ryokan, Hakone or Kinosaki Onsen might be great fits—both have scenic hot springs and traditional meals. As for DisneySea, it’s unique but can be overwhelming; go early, use the app to manage queues, and maybe consider a weekday visit.

Do you think the snow monkeys are worth a visti. I have alwasy loved photos of them. And opportunity to stay in ryoken in nearby town is appealing as well. I am grappling with Nara or Snow Monkeys and may end up adding two days to include both. I hear day trip to Nar a fromTokyo is option, but if I am going to Kyoto it seems I should stop coming or going.

Also wonder if Godzilla hotel is good or should I stay in Park Hotel in Tokyo or Dormy Premiere with tornado beer!

>> Do you think the snow monkeys are worth a visti
No, not for me. Some people love it. Go back to my previous post, item 1)
I think it is worth the travel time to visit either of those two onsen towns to stay in an onsen ryokan. Worth it, even without the snow monkeys nearby.

The 15-minute walk each way to the snow monkey rotenburo might be pleasant. Might be too cold and wet. On a nice day would I make the walk to see the snow monkeys? Probably not. Too touristy I think and I would be jealous of the monkeys watching them soak in an outdoor hot spring. If the snow monkeys were not there the I very well might make that walk so that I could use the bath.

>> hear day trip to Nar a fromTokyo is option
That was a bad suggestion for a person who is going to be staying in Kyoto. To go from Tokyo to Nara you would take the shinkansen to Kyoto for over 2 hours and fairly expensive. At Kyoto you would transfer to an inexpensive train and ride it for about 35 to 65 minutes.

>> if I am going to Kyoto it seems I should stop coming or going.
yes, you are absolutely correct

The Godzilla hotel is Hotel Gracery. That is a great location in Kabukicho, only 3 minutes' walk to a variety of restaurants. There are also a couple of bars that you can go to, like the one about 30 seconds walk from the front door of the hotel with a few seats outdoors. I haven't stayed there but have used it as the destination to give a taxi driver. It looked nice. There is a taxi stand. You can also flag down a taxi on the street (would be 10 seconds from that bar).

The location is not great for subway/train access.

Kabukicho is a lively area and great for people watching.

It is a red light district and might give an unpleasant encounter if:
1) you are a young, attractive, Japanese female then you might be recruited for a job as a bar hostess or as one of the sign holders that advertise the host/hostess bars. The young Japanese guy might give his pitch as you walk down the street for a bit. They give up easily.
2) you are a solo adult foreign male and are people watching then you might get approached by a guy speaking English and offering to arrange professional female services. If the guy approaching you is African, then that is what he will offer, for sure. In any case you can shoo them away, say "no, go away" or just ignore them, and that will be the end of it. Do that no matter what. Same applies to any place that has a tout outside. Don't go in.

I didn't really need to get into the red-light notoriety that Kabukicho has, smh. But it might have come up even though it is nbd. Times Square NYC used to be sketchy even with the theaters but today is more like Disneyland. Kabukicho is not as innocent but you likely wouldn't notice it if I didn't mention it, lol.

Here is a photo of "Godzilla Road". At the top ~center you can see Hotel Gracery and the Godzilla head to the left. In the foreground on the right is a Don Quixote (aka donki (donkey) in Japanese). Do some shopping there and then head down the street and choose a restaurant. Gojira does his thing every hour on the hour (noon to 8PM). After dinner, go to the end of the street and have dessert at a table outside the Krispy Kreme next to Toho Cinema. After that have a drink at Bar Aqua Cafe and walk 30 seconds to the front of the hotel.

<<2) you are a solo adult foreign male and are people watching then you might get approached by a guy speaking English and offering to arrange professional female services. If the guy approaching you is African, then that is what he will offer, for sure. In any case you can shoo them away, say "no, go away" or just ignore them, and that will be the end of it. Do that no matter what. Same applies to any place that has a tout outside. Don't go in.>>.

Personal experience mrwnrfl Are you going to be in Japan this Nov/Dec? Maybe we can gtg somewhere along the way?

Aloha!

yes, of course, to both
oct 26. To 9th

ht you have IM
Maybe Kurokawa
Will be at Miyama Sanso

guess will miss you this time. will be in japan nov 10 till Dec 2

Then only thing I can add is that we stayed at a ryokan, KAYOTEI, and it was a wonderful experience. But we did have to eat while seated on the floor, and sleep on the floor. One of the reasons we chose it was because it had a private onsen bath on the terrace, with a lovely forest view.

Look at the Ryokan Collection site.