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.

Tucked away in a cute Kyoto suburb, the host was extremely nice and gave a fantastic sushi making lesson. It included homemade vegetables from her garden, homemade miso soup, homemade sushi, as well as sake, matcha, and dessert. Highly recommend to anyone visiting 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!

Our cooking class was the highlight of our trip to Kyoto! Emika was warm, kind, and an excellent chef. Being in her home gave an authentic experience unlike any “tourist activity”. Emika was wonderful in explaining the traditions of what we were preparing and most of the vegetables came from her own garden. This was a wonderful bonding experience for our family and I would recommend it to anyone. She reached out before hand to ask our options on what to make. The walk through the beautiful neighborhood to her home gave a glimpse into an authentic Kyoto lifestyle, away from the tourist atmosphere elsewhere. This is an absolute MUST for anyone with a genuine interest in local culture and food.

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.

This is a "hands on" cooking class! Emika kept us busy preparing a multicourse meal that was top notch. I had tried making sushi in the past, but this was far better than any previous efforts. Emika grows many of the ingredients in her own garden, adding a personal and delicious touch.

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!

My wife and I had an amazing time learning about traditional Japanese cooking with Michiyo-San! She was kind enough to pick us up from the train station and open her home to us. She and her husband Kenichi were both very welcoming and spoke great English so there was no shortage of entertaining conversation. And of course - the food was incredible!! My wife and I love Japanese food but homemade food made from top-quality ingredients may have been one of the highlights of our trip. We did not stay long in Kyoto but our evening with Michiyo definitely made it all worth it!

From start to finish this experience was wonderful. Initially we were a little uncertain of how things would be, but all directions from Michiyo were easy to follow so we relaxed once the cooking began. We were making a traditional Japanese evening meal - with 5 courses. Michiyo spoke excellent English and had us making miso, special omlette, marinated salmon, beef 'stew', spinach with sesame seeds and sticky rice. Then we three sat down, with her husband, to eat what we had made. It was delicious and they were both extremely friendly and easy to chat to. We washed it all down with sake and beer - really enjoyable. In fact we both decided that it had been one of the highlights of our trip to Japan and would certainly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Japanese cooking mixed with an insight into a Japanese family's way of life. Wonderful - thank you Michiyo!