Amazing class with a remarkably sweet Aki. Aki's fluent English and relaxed atmosphere made us feel at home. Her handwritten cooking receipe and menu was so elegant and chic. And the food, ah, the food...terrific!

A very pleasant moment where we learnt the basics of the Japanese food with nice hosts. It was a moment apart with open discussion and a good way to discover Japan outside of the standard path.

This was truly a UNIQUE experience and delicious dinner. We were to spend 2 days in Sapporo after a 2week tour of Japan, and we were looking to live an authentic Sapporo/Japanese home cooking experience. So other than sleeping at a ryokan, we searched for something which would give us the chance to dive into the local culture and cuisine despite being a 2-day trip only. The added value of this experience was Shiro! She made sure we were comfortable in her home and truly eager to help us get to know more about their traditional cuisine, while being very open to share about the daily life and habits of a local family. We learned how to make sushi and other dishes, while she had previously prepared a lot of other delicious dishes, including her homemade plum sake which was maturing for 3 years! We spent a great evening (from 6pm pick up time at the station to about 9:30pm), her English was good and with this we really felt like we managed to live a real and authentic local experience without which it just wouldn’t have been the same trip. Thank you again Shiro for opening your house to us and for such a wonderful time!!! PS. By the way I returned home in Italy and have made a sushi party at home, making sushi myself for my friends by following Shiro’s instructions and was a real success!

My husband and I did a cooking class with Emika in her home in Kyoto. We had the best time making sushi, miso soup, a cucumber dish and a bitter melon dish. She grows all of her vegetables in a local garden and was very knowledgeable about the dishes. She also taught us how to make nigiri and explained all the fish we were eating. We also loved the matcha tea ceremony at the end. It was a really great experience and I would recommend it to everyone! She also gave us the sweetest origami box as a gift since I told her it was our honeymoon. Emika is the best!

Emika provides a peaceful oasis in Kyoto to learn, cook, and enjoy. After temples, shrines, and summer heat in Kyoto, Emika provides a respite to learn home cooking. Emika gathers her own fresh vegetables in the morning from her garden. For our cooking experience, we chose gyoza accompanied by seasonal salads, miso soup (with extraordinary miso paste made by Emika’s uncle), finished with matcha tea ground by a family friend. We liked getting out into a Kyoto neighborhood and the very hands on cooking experience. We appreciated Emika’s attention-to-detail and friendly welcome. Highly recommended!

Shiori and her husband invited me into their home for a great evening of cooking, dinner and conversation. It was a lovely way to experience what local life and food culture is like in Sapporo. I recommend you skip lunch, and make sure you try Shiori’s plum saké, you won’t regret it!

Michiyo made my friend and I so comfortable during this cooking class. We learned so much about the cuisine of local Japanese people!

As I’m in Hokkaido studying Japanese, I’m looking for opportunities to learn more about Japanese culture and practice my Japanese. Shiori Ogawa’s Japanese home-style cooking class was perfect. I was introduced to a wide variety of Japanese dishes and was able to practice my Japanese. Since I was the only class participant, Shiori Ogawa was gracious use both English and Japanese. Shiori took the time to explain the conveniences of Japanese kitchens, introduce me to important Japanese ingredients, and kindly showed me the technique of sharpening a knife on a sharpening stone. Prior to my arrival, Shiori had already prepped most of the dishes. I did get to make a maki roll. Then I was treated to a feast of huge variety of delicious homemade dishes.

We enjoyed such a delightful evening with Michiyo and Kenji, who welcomed us into their home to cook and eat with them. Michiyo had prepped Dashi but told us how to make it and gave us each a packet of instant to take home with us. We made 5 dishes including traditional Japanese omelette, miso soup, a spinach sesame salad, salmon, and beef stew. Michiyo sent us home with all of the recipes so we can recreate the meal at home. Being our first time in Japan, having this private experience was a fantastic introduction to “real life” and authentic food, not just what tourists experience in Kyoto.

We had a wonderful cooking lesson with Michayo! Michayo picked us up from the train station which was a quick and easy ride. We made 5 courses and Michayo explained each stip. We sat down to dinner with her husband Kenichi and had a great conversation. It was a wonderful evening with gracious hosts! I recommend if you are interested in learning to cook Japanese food in a home atmosphere!

We booked this at the last minute and are so grateful we invested some of our time in Kyoto in this fabulous experience. Rita is a treasure! Warm, funny, present, curious, knowledgeable, genuinely interested in connection, and a fantastic cook! A Kyoto native, her passion for Japanese cooking, culture and connecting through food was evident from start to finish. We spent 3 hours with her, beginning with touring the modest tofu shop of her friend (a 4th generation tofu maker), where we learned about the various stages of the process, the importance of various elements (like the water used) and were treated to samples of different kinds of fresh tofu, soy beans, and soy milk. Upstairs in the kitchen, Rita had a delicious and authentic meal already underway, but eased us into the cooking process with her to complete our meal together. She taught us not only about tofu, but about meal etiquette, Japanese seasonings and marinades, the aesthetic of meal presentation, and even the spiritual meanings behind some of the food customs. She also accommodated our food preferences (we’re pescatarians), which was so appreciated. We enjoyed every minute and morsel and left with a full and happy belly, printed recipes for everything we ate, gifts (including a lovely cotton kimono for our daughter - see photos), a new friend, and knowledge about the wonderful Japanese culture that is sure to enrich our experience in this fantastic country. Highly recommend.

Aki's cooking class was an absolute joy from start to finish! She not only taught us how to make numerous delicious dishes, but she taught us about Japanese culture as well. My husband, kids (18 & 20 years old) and I enjoyed every minute of our time in Aki's beautiful family home. She was also able to accommodate my kids' tree nut and fish allergies. Definitely one of the top three things that we did on our two week trip to Japan! Thank you for making our 30th wedding Anniversary so memorable Aki!

What an incredible experience! Aki was delightful and well prepared. She welcomed us into her home and the food was delicious. The laughs and conversation flowed, and the session was a highlight of our trip!

We had an amazing time with Emika. She is very kind and knows her cooking. The food was tasty and we had fun conversations about Japanese traditions. We ended with a tea ceremony which was a nice addition.

Thank you so much Michiyo for a fantastic experience, learning to cook a traditional Japanese meal, then sitting down to enjoy it. We had a wonderful evening and we absolutely recommend booking this in as part of your itinerary in Kyoto, for anyone also wanting to enjoy this amazing experience. Thanks again!