Bento Box Cooking Class in Kyoto: Learn Traditional Japanese Meal Crafting

Join a 3-hour cooking class in Kyoto and learn the art of crafting a traditional Japanese bento box meal. Master chefs will guide you in creating delicious dishes and you get to enjoy your own creation!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cooking Sun - Morning Bento Class is a great way to learn about typical Japanese dishes such as sushi, tempura and miso soup. In addition, you will learn the cultural background of the well-known Japanese ‘Bento’. During the 2.5-3 hour class, we will demonstrate and explain the tricks to making these beautiful dishes and then you will give it a try. After you finish cooking, you will enjoy the bento lunch you just made!
What's Included
  • Lunch included
  • All cooking ingredients provided
  • Apron supplied
  • English-speaking cooking instructor
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meal Options
  • Gomaae Sesame Salad
  • Miso soup
  • Teriyaki Chicken
  • Tempura
  • Sushi roll
Additional Information

The bento box is a classic element of Japanese tradition. It’s often considered the ideal meal: each partition of the box could hold an egg roll, rice, pickled veggies, breaded chicken, and even a savory miso soup. The term ‘bento’ originates from an older Japanese word that means ‘convenient’, and this compact meal solution undoubtedly fits the bill….

Location
Cooking Sun
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(176 Ratings)
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Nic1998
Mar 27, 2026
Cooking FUN in Kyoto! - Three hours flew by!!! So much fun. And I even learned a few new cooking techniques. Class is well organized and designed so you really can’t fail. One of my favorite memories from Kyoto. You will leave stuffed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claire
Feb 28, 2026
Bento extravaganza! - So much fun, really well organised. It didn't feel like 3 hours as you were very busy with all the cooking. I would highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Flyer45240447605
Feb 26, 2026
We would highly recommend this class for anyone who enjoys cooking. We learnt so much. - 5 it was an excellent class. We got lucky we were the only couple, however, Tuka our instructor was fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Audrey_t
Feb 24, 2026
This was our favorite... - This was our favorite activity in all of Japan! We were looking for a Japanese cooking class but most were just a single item. In this class with our wonderful chef/teacher Akiko, we made 6 different dishes! From the fluffy rolled omelets, spinach salad with homemade sesame dressing, chicken teriyaki, sushi roll, miso soup from scratch -to the spectacular shrimp and veggie tempura- it was an amazing experience! Akiko was an outstanding teacher who was not only able to explain the history of the ingredients and guide us through making food but also explain the all important presentation of the full bento box. And to top it off- it was all delicious! We had a great time cooking with our teen children and feel confident we could *mostly* reproduce the meal at home! :) We were given the full recipies for the dishes to take home so we feel optimistic! Thank you so much for this amazing experience Akiko-we are so appreciative!
Review provided by Viator
Bradleygk7871wy
Feb 2, 2026
A tasty way to spend a morning in Kyoto - The bento class at Cooking Sun was one of the highlights of our time in Kyoto. My wife and I were the only students in our particular session, so we had a one-on-one class with the chef. The instructions were clear, and the chef not only explained how to make each dish, but she also explained the varieties and uses of Japanese condiments. As we ate the meal that we had prepared, she offered suggestions for other areas of Kyoto to explore, and we followed her recommendations with great results. This is a great way to spend a morning in Kyoto. If we’d had more time, we would have considered the other classes offered by Cooking Sun. My wife and I have done several couples cooking classes at home in Santa Monica, CA, and the price for both of us at Cooking Sun was less than the cost of one person back home. We highly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
107gabrielleo
Jan 20, 2026
Great (yummy) family experience - Amino-san was fantastic. She was welcoming, friendly, informative and knowledgeable. She walked us through making 6 different dishes and gave us a great insight into Japanese life. Would highly recommend. Great with kids. And a fantastic lunch at the end.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traceysw3174et
Jan 13, 2026
Oishii Obento - My Mum and I went to the Obento class. We had a lovely time and Aniko was a great hostess. We made some delicious food and learnt a few tips about how we can do things better when trying to make Japanese food at home. This was my second time at Cooking Sun and I highly recommend it!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rianne
Jan 2, 2026
Great introduction to Japanese cooking (even if you rarely cook) - Great workshop given by very nice ladies. In between lots of background information about Japanese cuisine. The ladies are very well prepared and give everyone (and the cooking) enough attention while we are cooking. We make 4 delicious dishes and the result... mjummie! Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_f
Jan 1, 2026
Food allergy friendly - I have food allergies and they were very careful and helpful. The staff explained everything and were very kind.
Review provided by Viator
Christine_c
Nov 22, 2025
Must Do!!! - It was more than I even imagined. The instructors were precise and very informative. I cook a lot of Asian foods and was thankful to have learned some extra stkills that I didn’t know. Thank you.
Review provided by Viator
From $66
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).