Three night trip outside Tokyo

Greetings,

I and my partner would like to spend three nights outside Tokyo. Budget is about 90,000. Current itinerary is Kawagoe one night (we have an interest in architecture/design), bus to Minakami, small ryokan one night, and third night at Takaragawa onsen. However, we are a bit put off by the bears in cages, so I am rethinking the plan. I am also not sure staying in Minakami for two days, as there does not seem to be much to do around the station.

Our main interests are ryokan with kaiseki dinner, mixed onsen either as a daytime visitor or at a ryokan, and old town experience (perhaps accomplished in Kawagoe?). A small ferry trip would also be nice. Can anyone recommend alternative trips they enjoyed, or changes to the above? Hakone, Izu and Takayama are not being considered. Travel time needs to be under three hours by bus or train.

Best regards

Edit to the above: Hakone is being considered for a night or two as part of a three night trip.

Hi is the 90000 yen for the 3 nights or your total stay in Japan, if you are to visit Minakami, I will consider that place to be too isolated without regular transport, it's best if you have a car, as the area is pretty nice, especially if you can make your way to numata for Fukiwarenotaki Fall which is a 49 minutes drive from minakami station, in minakami area there are a few nice onsen to visit.

Takaragawa onsen is probably one of the best mixed onsen, and has one of the best view, but as you have mentioned, many has been put off by cruety to animals at this place, and it's a pain geting there without a car, if you decide to go and choose to eat there, do specify that you don't want to eat bear meat, as it's part of their course meals.

Thank you very much for your reply and suggestions for further sights, it is very helpful. 90000 is total budget for three nights; we have no car, are using bus/train.

You can go pretty much anywhere in Japan in three hours from Tokyo (if you allow flights in addition to train/bus).