Japanese Cooking: Sushi and Obanzai Delights

Immerse yourself in the art of Japanese cooking with a Kyoto cooking class. Learn sushi and Obanzai techniques, make traditional dishes, and enjoy a meal together in a local home.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 31-30 Katsurainariyamachō - This is a wonderful chance to visit a local’s home and immerse yourself in traditional culture and cuisine. Join Emika at her residence for a regional culinary adventure that begins or concludes with a freshly prepared cup of traditional matcha green tea, made by Emika or her father. In this Kyoto cooking class,…
What's Included
  • Local alcohol (1-2 glasses)
  • Private cooking class and tea ceremony with your host Emika
  • Supermarket and produce market tour (if you choose the Market tour option)
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meal Options
  • Choice of 1 main: - Sushi (nigiri or oshi) | Okonomiyaki | Gyoza | Obanzai main (meat or fish)
  • Obanzai style vegetable side dishes
  • Japanese sweet
  • Japanese tea ceremony
Additional Information

In this session, you’ll acquire the skills to create sushi based on your preference or traditional Obanzai style meals such as seasoned and cooked mushrooms, pickled or braised seasonal veggies and tofu recipes prepared the old-fashioned way. This will take place amidst engaging discussions with your host Emika in her warm and inviting kitchen. Emika…

Location
31-30 Katsurainariyamachō
Meet your host Emika at her home. The above is a generic location, not the exact address. Exact address and Google Maps link can be found in your ticket upon confirmation, check the 'before you go' section. It is a 15-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride from Katsura station on the Hankyu Kyoto line.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(81 Ratings)
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Katwieco
Mar 20, 2026
A Wonderful Experience! - We loved our cooking class with Emika! Her professional, but relaxed teaching style made this class not only fun, but easy to recall when home. We especially loved that most of the ingredients we used for our delicious meal were grown in her garden. We would absolutely recommend Emika to any of our friends or family traveling to Kyoto!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mikels5049nu
Dec 29, 2025
Amazing Cooking experience - The sushi cooking & tea ceremony experience with Emika was a ton of fun and a great experience. Emika welcomed us into her home and taught us how to cook a couple of dishes. Because it was just us and Emika, we received her full attention. Learning how to make nigiri sushi is something we're excited to try back at home. This experience was well worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan
Nov 30, 2025
Fun Experience - Excellent experience with Emika. She was thoughtful, organized, welcoming and entertaining. I recommend the experience. The day was topped off with a trip to Emika’s local grocery store where she educated us on new foods.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hhh971pv
Nov 25, 2025
Amazing host! - Amazing experience! Such a good sushi making class with all the tips and tricks! We had a very fun time. We ended with a tea ceremony at the end which was also very fun! Highly recommend to anyone visiting Japan who wants to have a good learning experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Josephbi2549gq
Nov 12, 2025
Highlight of my trip to Kyoto - Emika was very warm, gracious and welcoming. We felt immediately at ease with her. The recipes were clear, simple and had spectacular flavor enhanced with fresh ingredients from her garden pick that day.. Much tradition and tips for preparing sushi, carrot salad, marinaded cucumber, miso soup and tea ceremony. The personal trip to the market was informative and fun. I would recommend this experience to anyone traveling to Kyoto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Judy_m
Oct 17, 2025
My husband and I... - My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed spending an afternoon with Emika learning more about Japanese culture and cuisine. She is a gracious host and excellent teacher. We chose to make Okonomiyaki. They were delicious and we look forward to making them when we get back home. In addition we prepared some side dishes to go along with the okonomiyaki which rounded out our lunch. The trip to the local market was also very informative and allowed us to buy a few items to bring back with us. I highly recommend booking this experience.
Review provided by Viator
Mallory_s
Oct 9, 2025
Excellent afternoon... - Excellent afternoon cooking with Emika! She is so knowledgeable about not only what you are making but all sorts of Japanese food-related culture. It’s so special to cook with vegetables from her organic garden and use her uncle’s miso for the soup. She is patient and understanding as she explains how to make things and the meaning behind the dishes, especially during the tea ceremony. Going to the supermarket afterward was such a treat too!
Review provided by Viator
Grandtour58042965180
Sep 19, 2025
Enjoyed sushi making with Emika! - My daughter and I really enjoyed this private sushi class with our lovely host, Emika. It was fun, informative and interactive - a nice memory for my daughter and myself.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steph6664
Jul 28, 2025
Fun while learning with a local - Emika was a great host and teacher. My husband and I along with our boys 25 and 18 took this cooking Sushi class. It was an easy train ride from center of Kyoto and a welcome breath of fresh air to roam around a local nabe. The class was interesting and fun. Emika's uncle made the homemade miso for the soup and it was the best Miso we had ever had! The sushi was fresh and delicious. My only negative-it would have been nice to see how to cut the fish to make the sushi slices. Otherwise a fun experience. We will try and make our own back home. Thank you Emika!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trip31071155545
Jul 16, 2025
One of the highlights of our trip! - What an amazing opportunity to meet, talk with, and learn to cook from a local! Emika was a thoughtful and gracious hostess, and everything was pre-planned and organized to maximize our time there. The ingredients she purchased were of the highest quality, and she even picked fresh organic vegetables from her garden. She gave us insight into daily life, culture, and her experiences working in a sushi restaurant - all while she taught us how to make an incredible meal. And we finished it with a beautiful matcha tea ceremony that was both tasty and insightful. This was one of the highlights of our trip! Thank you Emika for such an exceptional experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $109
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).