Japan Classes

Very nice welcome. Interesting courses, quite easy to replicate at home. nice lunch.

Chef Katsuji was so kind and funny. We had such a great time learning to make ramen and sushi. His home is beautiful! No regrets in booking this class

It was quite a trek to get out there! But well worth the journey-- you will get to enjoy your handiwork in sight of beautiful terraced tea plantations and bamboo forests. Tips: Be prepared for a workout as you knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes! And have your translation app ready to go on your phone–– this is not the touristy part of Japan!

Great class for intermediate and advanced students from a highly professional instructor. Great variety of 7 recipes, but I especially appreciated learning rolled omelets, tempura vegetables, and mochi. The follow-up tour in the supermarket really locked in the lesson and was very helpful in understanding how to replicate the learned material after my trip.

Amazing experience. It was so fun to go to our teacher’s home, learn to cook so many simple yet traditional Japanese foods and eat them in her authentic dining room. The trip to the grocery store afterwards was an additional treat and I purchased many food items so I can recreate the delicious meal at home for my family. Our 2 teachers were so helpful in answering all of our questions and giving everyone a chance to participate. Would love to learn more from them on future visits.

I loved this class! Midori, who taught the class, is a wonderful! She is kind and goes out of her way for you. We made the best gyoza I have ever eaten. This is so much more personal of an experience than some big commercial type place. You’re experiencing Japanese culture. I tried so many things I have never seen before like ginger flower. I highly recommend taking a class from her!

Our host was wonderful. We learned so much and had a lot of fun.

We enjoyed this class during our trip to Kyoto. The instructors were so nice and encouraging. We learned all about the process of making ramen noodles from scratch, used the ramen machine to flatten the dough and cut the noodles, and then got to eat dinner at the restaurant. Really fun!

Minho’s teaching different cooking methods, techniques and food discovery at the grocery were so important for me. For the lunch set everything is clearly explained now. The meal resulted authentic and of course delicious. I highly recommend this class in Kyoto. Roberta

My whole family wanted the fun of a cooking class together, and I’m sooooo glad we picked this one. Not only is Yoko-sensei skilled in the culinary arts (unfortunately you can currently get her cookbook only in Dutch) but is funny and knowledgable about both Japanese food and world cuisine. I cook a fair bit, but I learned knife techniques I’d never seen before and along the way we created a downright yummy lunch!

What a brilliant experience. I really recommend doing this if you’re keen to learn how to create ramen and gyoza when you return home. That’s why I did it and I now feel confident to go home and recreate the dishes we made together. Thank you so much :) Ella xxx

It was a nice short introduction and explanation of ramen by Shu! He was excellent.

Had a great time with Shohei and his team making tempura from scratch! Learned fun tips and tricks and recipes. And, most importantly where to source the special ingredients at home. They shared their knowledge of Osaka with us in a beautiful penthouse venue. Highly recommend!

Fantastic, would book again

You learn how to make the Ramen noodles from scratch using a machine. You can't try them the same day because they need to rest overnight, but still there is a tasty Ramen meal included in the price!

The chef was friendly and fun. We each made a different type of ramen and learned the secrets of each (I wish I’d taken better notes)

Great class, chef and host were so nice and we felt very welcome in their house! An experience we will never forget and perfect end of our holiday in Japan!

Great atmosphere, you can tell the knowledge and great enthusiasm of the cook. The tea ceremony was awesome, they explain the Why of all the steps that the tea ceremony specialist performs. Highly recommend!

Mijo was a wonderful host and being in a Japanese home made it that much more special. So fun and easy making the mochi and the tea ceremony was amazing. It was intimate and informative. After going through a traditional ceremony we then got to make our own matcha tea. Loved every minute.

It felt low key and accessible to ask all the questions we wanted, while still enjoying the graceful and formal performance of the tea ceremony. Definitely a recommendation for first timers to a tea ceremony, wanting to learn more about its intricacies and significance.

The ceremony included several parts, in each the explanations and experience were exceptional. A beautiful location and generous hospitality. Fluent English speaking hosts who were also very knowledgeable .

The house in which the tea ceremony took place was quaint and lovely as were the ladies who guided us through each step of the beautiful process. From the tea to flower arrangement to calligraphy, each step was taken with such respect and care. The experience was one of the most wholesome experiences I have had in my travels. My friend and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys learning about history, culture and matcha!

We got great kimonos, wonderful eats in the beginning, a slide show explaining the rituals of tea - followed by tea making . Each of us then got to choose from various activities like calligraphy, matcha making and miniature zen garden model making

Midori does a great job of welcoming you in and telling you about the ingredients, the culture and overall about Japan. She is very friendly and gives great instructions in English.

The class was really insightful and Suji is really experienced and made the class really fun! We had a great time and learned a lot!

Everything done with care, quality and passion. Thanks

Katsuji and Bubu-san were a breath of fresh air, bringing so much humor to the class. Katsuji was very kind and made sure each person got 1 on 1 time when learning the cutting techniques. The food was delicious and filling. Our hosts were also understanding of any dietary restrictions, offering alternatives. We absolutely want to come back next time!

We had a great and lovely experience which we won't forget with Katsuji and his friend showing us how make matcha, sushi and ramen in his home. Both of them were super friendly and so generous. Arigatōgozaimasu!

We had the absolute best time with Katsuji and Mayumi! They were excellent teachers. They’re so positive and energetic that the three hours or so we were with them fly by. We couldn’t recommend taking a class with them more!

It was such a fun, interactive experience, and the instructor made it accessible to everyone, no matter their cooking skills. I came alone, but the small group size made it easy to connect with others. I loved kneading the dough and learning the techniques to make perfect noodles. The ramen we made was so flavorful, and I left with a full belly and lots of great memories. A fantastic experience for anyone visiting Kyoto!

This class was one of my favorite activities in Kyoto! The setting was cozy and welcoming, and our instructor was knowledgeable and patient. We learned how to make everything from scratch – from the noodles to the broth – and got to try some unique toppings. The best part was tasting the final product! It was so satisfying to enjoy a bowl of ramen that I made with my own hands. If you're looking for a unique cultural experience in Japan, this is a must-do!"

This ramen-making experience was everything I hoped for and more! Our instructor made the process easy to understand, breaking down each step in a fun way. I loved getting hands-on with the dough and learning about the different ingredients that go into authentic ramen. Plus, the end result was delicious! It was so rewarding to sit down and enjoy the ramen we made ourselves. Definitely recommend for anyone wanting a memorable, interactive experience in Kyoto!

The cooking class was great, we learned a lot but also had lots of laughs with the chef! We were very welcomed at his house. He is a great host and teacher. We would recommend this cooking class to everyone.

We were very warmly welcomed in the sensei's flat by him and his daughter. He showed us how to prepare matcha, sushi and ramen. Everything tasted excellent and we learned so many new things that you can not learn on your own. We would book it again and highly recommend it to everyone looking for an authentic japanese experience!

This is an incredible experience that the entire family enjoyed. Teruyubi is a fantastic tour guide. He communicated with us beforehand, in the lead-up to today, answering all my queries quickly. This morning, he picked us up from the Ayabe train station and drove us to the picturesque Kurotani village, where we met our kind and cheerful washi making instructor. Teruyubi translated for us and also arranged to have our handiwork posted to where we will be staying in 4 days’ time, after the papers dry. After we finished making the washi paper, he gave us a tour of this historic washi factory and the washi making process. Then it was back to the Ayabe city centre for a delicious home-style Japanese lunch and a short matcha making experience. We left some room for the mochi that we were going to learn how to make next! We got to pound and shape mochi with two lovely ladies, then eat our handiwork served in red bean soup and with a side of pickled cabbage and tea while sitting under a cherry tree. The ladies were so kind to seal our mochi professionally air-tight in plastic. All through the day, Teruyubi was a fountain of knowledge, providing us with fascinating insights on the area, the crafts, the flora and the food. His English is excellent and he took care of our every need. The peaceful countryside we travelled through was stunning and there were no crowds of tourists. The activities were fun for the whole family. And we enjoyed learning so much from Teruyubi.

Shu and his wife were so kind and walked us through the process of putting together a very hearty, yummy bowl of ramen. You can tell they are really experts at this - he even has graphics to show the process from start to finish. We really enjoyed this and felt very happy to support them! I would recommend this to anyone traveling to Osaka as the entire experience was very memorable and we left feeling super satisfied. Thank you Shu!

They made everyone feel comfortable and welcomed in their home. This was a truly unique experience to learn not only about the food, but also to catch a glimpse of how local Japanese live, where they shop, what their routine is like, etc. I would recommend this class to anyone travelling to Osaka.

A quick experience we were able to fit into our busy schedule, the chef was amazing and the ramen was delicious!

Katsuji and his daughter were wonderful people who welcomed us into their cozy home, and the food was beyond delicious. We will be coming back some day hopefully, and we recommend anyone staying near Osaka to try it as well. We have been to many countries, doing cooking classes in each one, and this one was both enjoyable, fun and very professional.

We had a really nice time with the nicest people. We would definitely recommend choosing this cooking class!!

The team was very nice and patient despite my poor Japanese. They gave me plenty of advice. The result was excellent. I will do them back home, thank you.

Chef Katsuji and daughter Chiharu are such beautiful people that welcomed us into their beautiful home. They were so welcoming, friendly and funny! We shared many laughs and stories, and some beautiful food. Everything was hands on, and they left us with a special gift to take back home with us. I would recommend this to anyone I know visiting Japan

We arrived to the destination 15 min late because it was difficult to tell where the exact location was and where to park. I was so nervous because our group of 4 drove together from Kyoto through winding roads to find the class. Even though we were late the hosts were very kind and didn’t mind at all. They offered us tea and had us put on our aprons and wash our hands. Kimichan was our cooking instructor. She did a great job communicating, mostly using google translate to explain the steps as we were cooking. Making the set was fun and it was pretty easy. They prepared all the ingredients pre-measured and our host checked that we did the steps correctly. She also helped us take group photos and individual photos of us making noodles. Once we finished making the noodles, our teacher collected them all and boiled them together. In the end we had a good lunch that we made ourselves in a relaxing and memorable setting.

Shuji was an amazing and patient teacher, it was easy to communicate with him and the atmosphere of his restaurant was welcoming. The ramen we made was delicious.

Little English is spoken but it’s not a problem as they’re able to show and help you without needing to speak English. Only con would be that it’s quite far out, but easy enough to get there on the local bus from the station! Would definitely recommend.