Top Kansai Cooking Classes - page 4

One of the best souvenirs any traveler can bring back from Japan is the ability to make and appreciate authentic Japanese sushi. Get up to speed with the art of making sushi, Japanese soup and pickled ginger during this small group cooking class. Capped at eight people, this class offers a relaxed environment that other, larger sushi classes often don’t – and a hands on experience that you can’t get from cooking channels on the internet or TV.

【A Hundred-Year Villa and Elegant Garden】 Located near the “Sakurabashi” bridge on the Philosopher’s Path, Kiriyama Kaikan is a historical villa with over a hundred years of heritage and a serene Japanese garden. Here, you can experience the true essence of the tea aesthetics once cherished by nobles and Zen monks. 【Matcha vs Sencha Experience】 ▸ Matcha (Powdered Green Tea Ceremony) Experience the Zen spirit of wabi-sabi through the refined and formal “Senke” style of tea ceremony.

Leave Osaka behind and explore more of Japan’s Hyogo prefecture on this day tour of Himeji Castle and Akashi Kaikyo Bridge—the longest suspension bridge in the world. You won’t have to worry about organizing transportation or getting lost on Japan’s complex public transportation systems, and a lunch buffet that features both Japanese and Western cuisines is also included to keep you energized throughout the day.

Dive into the world of traditional Japanese sweets with a hands-on class in Osaka. Craft delicious treats like Sanshoku Dango, Sakura Nerikiri, and Fruit Daifuku as you learn the techniques behind these cultural delights. Your experienced instructor will guide you step-by-step, ensuring you master each sweet's unique preparation. After creating your confections, savor them alongside a cup of authentic Japanese tea. Bring home your handmade creations to share with friends and family.

A tea ceremony is a key part of Japanese culture, and Kyoto—long regarded as the country’s cultural capital—is one of the best places to experience it. During the ceremony, a tea master demonstrates the precise steps involved in preparing premium matcha, offering invaluable insights that you’d miss if drinking tea in a restaurant. You can then enjoy traditional Japanese sweets to accompany your tea.

Step into a 100-year-old traditional townhouse, where the scent of tatami and a calm atmosphere invite you to slow down. Guided by a host trained in the Omotesenke tradition—one of Japan’s most respected tea ceremony schools—you’ll learn the graceful and mindful art of preparing matcha. With gentle and entertaining guidance, you’ll make your own bowl of matcha, discovering the techniques and etiquette that transform tea-making into a peaceful ritual. Enjoy your matcha with a traditional sweet and take time to savor the moment. Our English-speaking tea masters welcome questions and conversation, helping you connect more deeply with Japanese culture. Using authentic, handcrafted utensils by skilled artisans, we share an experience rooted in tradition—one to remember and take home in spirit.

Experience a warm cultural welcome to Japan with an authentic tea ceremony in traditional kimonos in Kyoto. Dress in a classic kimono, sip authentic matcha green tea, sample Japanese sweets and learn the customs and history behind this cherished ritual. It’s a perfect way to immerse yourself in Japanese culture.

With this Kyoto tour, you can combine multiple experiences in a day—including a walk in a zen garden, a visit to Tofukuji Temple, and a chance to learn the fundamentals of zen meditation. The group size is kept small, which gives you excellent access to your guide for questions, and you can also enjoy a vegetarian Shojin lunch along the way.

Enjoy a cooking class in an atmospheric setting—a beautiful wooden house in Kyoto. The cooking experience introduces you to local recipes that you wouldn’t be able to find in restaurants, and techniques that have been passed down through many generations of the host’s family. Dishes prepared vary depending on the time of year, but sample menu items could be chikuzenni (braised chicken and vegetables), braised burdock root, and miso soup.

Become truly immersed in traditional Japanese culture as you and your party members will enjoy the entire 300-year old historic property to yourselves. We serve organic matcha locally sourced from Kyoto, Uji in a traditional tea room. Enter into this space separate from the rush of life and truly experience the serenity of tea ceremony. Adorn an authentic silk wedding Kimono or wield a Samurai Katana to commemorate your visit to Kyoto! You are welcome to take photos during your visit. You can even bring the experience home with you as we offer a large array of Matcha Chawan (Matcha Tea Bowl) and authentic silk Kimono for purchase. An experience like no other being the only Samurai house in Kyoto with such offerings. We are able to offer this traditional space and still be very conveniently located only an 8 minute walk from Kyoto station, making this experience a seamless addition to your time in Kyoto.

Travelers who love Japanese food and want to learn how to make it at home will enjoy this cooking lesson experience. Tour a local market and learn about Japanese ingredients, as well as how to select the best ones. Take a cooking lesson in your instructor’s home, and also see how the locals live and dine. Enjoy eating what you produce afterwards.

Take a deep-dive into Japanese culture and experience Osaka like a local on this evening walking tour. Join your guide on an exploration of the city’s historic districts, including the former ghetto and the Red Light district. Learn about Osaka’s history, heritage, and local traditions; venture down the backstreets to visit quirky sites often missed by travelers; and sample traditional street foods. Upgrade to include a delicious dinner.

Learn to make artistic sushi rolls during your own private ‘kazarimaki’ class in Kyoto. Kazarimaki is the art of making designs within a sushi roll, using edible pigments extracted from plants to create colorful patterns in the sushi. Your instructor also provides a kimono (for women) or other traditional garments (for men and children) to wear during the experience.

When traveling abroad, there is no other experience like sitting down for a meal with a local. Emika opens her Kyoto home to visitors to share a private meal and conversation. Enjoy an authentic Japanese meal of sushi, miso soup, matcha green tea, and sweets with your Kyoto native host.

"Takoyaki" is a traditional food that originated in Osaka. It is cooked in a special takoyaki machine and eaten with a toothpick. Many tourists who visit Osaka buy takoyaki at stores, but locals often make them at home. They gather with family and friends and spend a fun time cooking and eating takoyaki together. The filling doesn't have to be octopus! You can add your favorite fillings, such as cheese or crab sticks. During this experience, you can also enjoy Ramune, a traditional Japanese carbonated drink, with your takoyaki. We hope you will experience the joy of making and eating "takoyaki," the pride of Osaka, together in the region where it originated.

If you want to party like they do in Osaka, this bar-hopping tour is perfect for you. Your local guide takes you to traditional Izakaya bars that only locals know. If you don’t speak Japanese, don’t let language barriers get in your way. Your guide helps to explain the menus, and order unique, local dishes and drinks for you. Enjoy enough drinks and food to make up a full meal; vegetarians and vegans can also be accommodated.

Not only will you be exposed to Japanese culture, but you will actually be able to experience it for yourself. Not only can you drink traditional matcha green tea, but you can also experience sencha green tea and sweets, which are commonly consumed in Japan today.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s second biggest city and step into the world of matcha. In this tea ceremony class in Osaka, you’ll learn about the deep history and etiquette of this intricate Japanese tradition from a friendly English-speaking host. Traditionally, participants sit in a kneeling position known as “seiza”, but this class allows you to take part from the comfort of a chair, so you can focus on making matcha the authentic way.

In this hands-on workshop, appreciate the art of making Japanese tea as you prepare and try different drinks including oolong tea, matcha, and hojicha. Learn about tea’s historical significance in the country and brew tea like a master using traditional techniques and locally sourced organic tea leaves. You’ll even sample a tea cocktail and traditional Japanese sweets.

Learn to roll sushi like a pro during this sushi-making class in Osaka that includes dinner. Get a hands-on introduction to the art of sushi from a professional instructor, then sit down to enjoy your creations, along with other Japanese snacks. This personalized sushi course, limited to just eight participants, offers upgrade options to sample Japanese sake and beer.

Learn a new skill and enjoy a delicious meal in this sushi-making class. Under the guidance of your instructor, you’ll assemble three kinds of sushi: oshi-zushi, a salad roll, and nigiri. Get demonstrations on the right techniques, and at the end of the workshop, enjoy your freshly made food alongside some miso soup.

Our tea ceremony session is held in an authentic Japanese style room at a local house. Tea ceremony is formal, but you will also experience the feeling of being invited over for a cup of tea by a friend in Japan. This is a great opportunity for all tourists coming to Kyoto. Our group lessons have a maximum of 8 people. Our hosts and English-speaking instructors are all very friendly and want you to have a memorable time with us. We'll introduce you some history of tea and tea ceremony. You will have a chance to make a bowl of Match by yourself so you will be able to make it for your friends when you go back home. We guarantee they will be surprised and that would be one of the best souvenirs for them!! * It is also possible to prepare a chair instead of sitting on the Tatami floor if you prefer. Please let us know how many chairs you want us to prepare when you make a reservation. *Our reservation is from 2, but if you are solo, please contact us, we may arrange for you.

WHAT TO EXPECT ・Understand basic Japanese ingredients ・Learn how to prepare all the ingredients to make ramen soup and the toppings ・Learn how to make gyoza skin and gyoza filling ・Learn how to wrap gyoza and grill My lessons are not only about watching demonstrations but also putting them into practice as I want to give you enough information to help you cook them again when you return home. Moreover, I can suggest which ingredients are better to use instead of Japanese ones since I struggled to get them while living abroad.

We are located in the heart of Kyoto, just a 12-minute walk from Kyoto Station and a 2-minute walk from Nishi Honganji Temple. Our facility is a beautifully renovated traditional Japanese house that dates back 130 years. We have transformed it into a classroom where we provide an authentic Japanese cultural experience for overseas visitors to Japan, aiming to offer a genuine taste of Kyoto's rich cultural heritage. Inside the historic house, you will find a majority of antique furniture and artifacts that are over 110 years old. With this setting, along with traditional Japanese music, we strive to create an immersive cultural experience that takes you back to Kyoto as it was 130 years ago. Our teachers are all local to Kyoto and possess a deep understanding of Japanese culture. They are passionate about sharing their knowledge and providing you with an enriching experience.