SAKURA

Aya, our host and instructor was full of smiles as we arrived at her beautiful, traditional home. Her husband was on hand when required but it was led by Aya. She talked about the dish we were going to prepare 'Okonomiyaki' and the difference between the local variety and the Hiroshima version. The room was spotless, and we sat at preprepared workstations as she talked us through the process. She asked lots of questions of us (I was there with my wife and a 13 and 18-year-old) - she involved everyone elegantly and effortlessly in the conversation. Her English was excellent. The cooking and prep itself were relatively straightforward, with a couple of slightly tricky moments in flipping the Okonmyaki on hot plates. Perfect for those seeking the fun of cooking Japanese food without the pressure of perfection! The food was delicious and we all ate our fill whilst enjoying an informative chat with Aya. She helped enormously with suggestions of where to go and where to avoid Kyoto. She even looked up a few map destinations and forwarded them after the class to my WhatsApp the next day. I also spoke with her husband, who was in a famous Japanese band in the 80s. He loves English rock - notably Pink Floyd and Deep Purple, so we enthused together about these and other iconic bands. I asked about his band - he disappeared upstairs and then gifted me one of his CDs. I can't wait to listen to it on my return. Overall I cannot recommend this experience enough. The family is delightfully welcoming, the conversation accessible and enlightening and the food delicious. We left with full stomachs, a recipe card each, a CD, and memories to treasure for a very long time. What a welcome to Kyoto.

It was such fun evening learning to make decorative sushi and delicious as well. Our host was amazing, welcoming, knowledgeable , well prepared and fun conversations. I would definitely recommend this class!!!

We had an amazing and intimate experience learning to cook okonomiyaki! It was a highlight of our trip. Such kind hearted people.

The instructor and her helper were very nice and patient. They not only explained how to cook but also talked about the culture and why they used the ingredients. My daughter had fun and our sushis looked amazing.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to experience a tea ceremony!

My two sons and I came for the decorative sushi lesson yesterday. Ana, the teacher was lovely and was very patient. She shared her recipe and guided us through making the sushi which was delicious. I would highly recommend this activity while in Kyoto.

A very enjoyable and authentic cooking class with the option to wear traditional costume. Fully conducted IN perfect English and easy to learn.

Really enjoyed it, Aya was a wonderful host. Will recommend to all our friends.

I went with my family and we made the flower sushi. The teachers were extremely kind and helpful and went out of their way to make it an enjoyable experience for us all. I am vegetarian and I was very happy that they changed the ingredients for me so I could still eat the sushi that I had made. They had many beautiful kimono options and I really enjoyed dressing up. The teacher wore a full kimono outfit and even explained the different parts to us and helped us to learn more about the Japanese culture. I would recommend this to anyone interested in a really fun hands on experience where you can learn more about the culture and meet new people. They speak English quite well and we were able to communicate easily.

It was an amazing experience!

Awesome experience. Very attentive, kind and welcoming host Aya, useful information and great immersion in Japanese culture. Big thanks! Bringing back home this cool recipe of okonomiyaki

Aya, our teacher, was so lovely. We had so much fun and learned a lot about the intricate details of sushi making. I would highly recommend this, you will enjoy any of her classes!

Aya was a great host that made us laugh. She explained really well what we were doing and made the whole experience super enjoyable!

The host was so lovely, she gave good instructions and spoke great English. She really made us feel welcome. We enjoyed dressing up for the class also. She took pictures for us and emailed us all of them very shortly after 😀 Highly recommend this class. It's also in a great location near the market so we fit it in at 10am before getting a train to our next destination.

Loved it!! 4 of us together did it. So organized, interesting and fun. Ayo was really dedicated yet easy going and explained everything in a really nice way. What an excellent way to spend an evening in Kyoto!

Loved this class! The cooking teacher was great, the environment and atmosphere fun and the food delicious!