Ryokan are certainly not just for 'foreign tourists' - many have a very limited interest in serving international customers and do not making booking or staying

Ryokan are certainly not just for 'foreign tourists' - many have a very limited interest in serving international customers and do not making booking or staying there easy for non-Japanese speakers. They're mostly dedicated to serving Japanese nationals seeking a relaxing domestic trip for a special occasion. That said, the Japanese 'business hotel' is really a thing of beauty. They have everything a traveller truly needs, and nothing they don't. Half the time, you don't even need to speak to a human being to do predictable traveller things like check in, check out, or order breakfast. Even the most dirt cheap business hotel in Japan seems to have a shockingly large (by western standards) set of in-room amenities, and though almost trashy, the fact that you can self-serve a beer/highball/sake from the vending machine placed on every other floor for a mere ~120 yen is a nice departure from the egregiously overpriced hotel bar drinks you will find in western-style hotel bars.