Private Home Cooking in Yanaka – Local Flavors in a Warm Setting
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tokyo, Japan
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Cook like a local in Tokyo during this private lesson that takes place in a home in Yanaka. Instead of simply going out for a meal, learn how you can recreate authentic Japanese dishes at home under the guidance of an instructor. Practice cooking techniques with live feedback as you go.
- Learn about local cooking ingredients in a local's home kitchen
- Choose from a lunch or dinner cooking class to fit your schedule
- Special menu requests can be accommodated with notice
- Enjoy personalized attention in a private class
Sample Menu
Main
SUSHI《home made style》 Nigiri-sushi or Roll-sushi or Temari-sushi.
How to make sushi at home party!! Please choose -NIGIRI Sushi. -Rolled Sushi. -Temari(ball) Sushi. Miso soup from scratch of dashi included.
Main
BENTO = Let's make Japanese Lunch box !
All into the BENTO Box. -Rice ball, -Karaage=JP fried chicken, -Dashimaki-tamago= Rolled omelette, -JP salad, -Miso soup from scratch of dashi
Starter
TERIYAKI = fish or Chicken
This is a typical Washoku taste grill, cooking in traditions.
Starter
OKONOMIYAKI= Japanese pancake, Seafood/Meat+Vegetables.
Soul food of Japanese, OKONOMIYAKI. Its a good for the party. Fun and yummy idea. also, easy preparation and cooking. You should get the recipe.
Starter
GYOZA = Dumpling JP style.
Gyoza is the soul food of the Japanese too. you can enjoy at home, and also enjoyable cooking with kids. Shall we start GYOZA making party!!
Starter
TON-KATSU"= JP Pork Cutlet
There are so many TON-KATSU shops whole of Japan, which is a nice combination of steamed rice and miso soup. Let's enjoy a homemade TONKATSU Lunch.
Starter
FILLET FISH.
You can fillet fish. we instruct you on how to fillet fish, and how to cook fillet fish to JP style. Come on Washoku lovers!!
Starter
UDON=from scratch, JP noodles.
Shall we make Udon from flour? by your foot?? One of our soul noodles, we instruct you how to make it from scratch. Good combination with Templa.
Starter
TEMPRA = Japanese seafood and vegetables fried.
You can try to cook crispy tempura and cook it with dipping sauce from scratch. Good combi with rice and noodles. Enjoy the TEMPURA party at home!
Starter
【Request】Allergies, Vegetarian, Vegan and special your requests are available,
Allergies, Vegetarian, Vegan and Special menu request is also available, please fill up. Depending on special menus, needed additional fee.
What's Included
- Fresh Ingredients and Kitchen Tools
- LunchYou can eat after cooking.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- YANESEN Tourist Information & Culture Center3-chōme-13-7 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001, Japan
YANESEN Tourist information & Culture Center. 〒110-0001Yanaka3-10-21,Taitou-Ku,Tokyo, 110-0001 +81 (0)3 5834 7025
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Allergies, Vegetarian, Vegan and any your request are available, let us know when you make reservation.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
gayle12hx
Yuki was absolutely amazing — such a warm and welcoming lady, and a joy to spend time with. We had a wonderful experience from start to finish and learnt so much about Japanese cuisine, culture, and the little techniques that make home‑style dishes so special. It was one of those rare experiences that feels both fun and deeply memorable.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful afternoon 💕.
Reviews
5.0
based on 180 reviews
gayle12hx, Apr 2026
Yuki was absolutely amazing — such a warm and welcoming lady, and a joy to spend time with. We had a wonderful experience from start to finish and learnt so much about Japanese cuisine, culture, and the little techniques that make home‑style dishes so special. It was one of those rare experiences that feels both fun and deeply memorable.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful afternoon 💕.
Katherine_S, Jan 2026
We had a great time making bento boxes. Yuki was so welcoming and provided a lot of information about the different foods and culture behind them. The recipes were easy to make when we got home!
Anonymous, Nov 2025
It is hard to find their location, but if you call them they will come find you! It was a VERY authentic experience and a lot of fun. Not only did we learn to cook dishes we will make again, but the teacher was a lot of fun.
Juliet_B, Nov 2025
Yuki is an awesome host and teacher. She made us all feel comfortable and welcome. Her English is excellent! She provides everything needed to prepare a wonderful meal to enjoy. We made Oyakodon and Nikujaga, both delicious. All ingredients used are readily available in our local markets (California, USA).
We wish Yuki the best and will look for another class with her in the future.
Kate_B, Aug 2025
We had a great time cooking Yanaka making miso dengaku (eggplant) and ufon noodles from scratch. We even used our feet to kneed the dough in the traditional manner.
We found the experience very authentic and the food was delicious. Our host spoke very good English which made the session very informative.
We also enjoyed walking around the local area.
Mary_G, May 2025
What an amazing experience! We did other cooking classes and this was our favorite. Our host was kind and knowledgable. And the food was amazing!!!!
Ken_T, May 2025
Very friendly and easy instructions with many tips for good results. Able to speak english well and were a lot of fun to talk to during the course of the lesson and meal. Would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to learn how to cook Japanese dishes.
Sanjeet_S, May 2025
This was such an amazing experience. Our two guides were excellent - they had a very good command of English n explained the steps n recipes really well (esp to our kids).
The location is also amazing - situated in a less touristy part of the city in a residential neighborhood. We loved exploring that area as well.
Gloria_H, May 2025
We are not review writers but feel compelled to express our heartfelt appreciation for the exceptional experience we had cooking at the YANESEN Information & Culture Center. We initially met Masa, the business owner, the day before our cooking class (it was our first time in Tokyo so we went a day early to explore the train system, route times and familiarize ourselves on the class location). It was a very rainy day and Masa warmly greeted and treated us to a cup of hot coffee. We chatted about our class, and he seemed very interested in meeting all of our expectations. Before leaving, Masa graciously provided us with a much needed umbrella and also gave us directions to the Ueno Park Cherry Blossom Festival, along with interesting landmarks and shops along the way.
The next day we arrived for our class early and again Masa was there to warmly greet us. From the moment we arrived the hands-on fun and knowledge transfer commenced! We had a glorious time with our two instructors, with Yuki taking the lead and sharing her knowledge regarding all aspects of the meal preparation. They were wonderful and knowledgeable instructors, and what a superb feast we enjoyed at the end of the class! If time permitted we definitely would have registered for additional classes.
Dana_K, May 2025
What a fun way to immerse yourself in Japanese cooking. We made bento boxes which were delicious and creative. Our hosts were so sweet and helpful. The meal was delicious with plenty of extra for later.
Response from Host, May 2025
Great to hear you had such a fun-filled time making Bento Box lunch with Yuki-san. I am sure that rolling egg omelets is something you have never done with the square pan....I hope you enjoyed making Onigiri Rice balls, as well as laying out the bento box. We believe it inspired your arty side, too. Thank you for joining us, and have a wonderful stay in Japan!! See you again~!
Adia_J, May 2025
This was a great experience. The place seemed hard to find but just stop in and ask once you've arrived and the shop owner will take you right to your Cooking class.
Yuki was so fun to talk to and had everything prepared for our experience. We had homemade miso soup (which is 1000x better than what most restaurants are serving in the states and even some in Japan). We chose the tempura and okonomiaki to cook. It was a great time full of great conversation.
I would definitely recommend this to travelers looking to gain insight into Japanese cuisine and to anyone who just loves food, cooking or having great conversations. 10 out of 10.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you for the perfect score! We are so excited to read your review. We are also glad you noticed the quality of Oishi-ness in the hearty miso soup you made with Yuki from scratch. Okonimiyaki and tempura.....wooooo made me so hungry and want to head home and cook! Anyway, we are glad you had a great meal and memory with Yuki. Arigato and see you again!!!
ANGELA_C, Apr 2025
Super fun and delicious! We really enjoyed our time and highly recommend! The area around the location also has lots of cute shopping and restaurants. A highlight of Tokyo for us.
Heidi_B, Apr 2025
What a great experience! Our chef and instructor, Yuli, is a terrific teacher and skilled English speaker, who put us straight to work preparing the ingredients—chopping, slicing, grinding, mixing, then actually doing the cooking—while she explained some of the proper techniques to creating traditional Japanese food, as well as alternative ways of using other fresh ingredients. Best of all, we learned the WHY of what we were doing.
We made a delightful and complex Miso Soup from scratch making home-made dashi, then using things like wakame , bonito flakes and Konbu kelp. Next we made Okonomiyaki—a delicious grilled fritter/pancake dish with lots of fun and unexpected ingredients, and last we made a lovely Nasu Dengaku (Miso-glazed eggplant) that was topped with two delightfully different glazes and sesame seeds. Of course our big reward was getting to eat all this yummy food! You will not go home hungry! This was so fun!
We’re already planning to re-create this meal for friends when we get home!
Monica_M, Apr 2025
This experience was amazing! We learned how to make two variations of sushi, miso soup, a main course and a dessert. The foods were fresh and full of flavor. We learned a lot!
The host were amazing and friendly. Very educational! Such a great time!
Phillip_L, Mar 2025
Our cooking class with Yukiko-san was fantastic! It was fun, engaging and best of all, we made delicious food together. We made miso soup, tempura and rolled sushi. The entire experience was more than just about cooking. You learn about Japanese culture while enjoying Japanese food. Every ingredient has a regional history and preparation method. We found out Miso in Nagoya is darker and stronger just like Yukiko-san said it would be! Making rolled sushi was the highlight of the class. We had never made rolled sushi before. Yukiko-san was such a patient teacher. The rolled sushi we made was very good and tasty; we may never buy pre-made sushi again! If you are thinking of taking this class, just sign up! You will be guaranteed to have fun and have great food at the end. Yukiko-san’s English was so very good and she was a pleasure to cook with and learn from. We would highly recommend this cooking class with Yukiko-san! She was a wonderful teacher.
Kaitlin_E, Mar 2025
A wonderful experience with a charming host! We enjoyed making gyoza and kaarage, as well as miso soup and Japanese spinach salad for our dinner! We had some good laughs and enjoyed learning about the process and talking about food and seasonings. This was a highlight of our trip and I will never forget what a wonderful time we had. Thank you so much!
Yadiel_S, Dec 2024
Our love for Japanese cuisine and culture inspired us to book this experience to learn more about the foods we love to eat. This being our first time in Japan, we were super nervous, but once we met Yuki, our nerves melted away. She made us feel right at home while teaching us how to cook delicious Japanese dishes, breaking down seemingly simple foods and showing us how much more complex they really are. She also taught us about the different tools used in Japanese cooking, which gave us a deeper appreciation for the art of food preparation. Honestly, the two hours flew by—I felt like we could have spent the whole day there, given how much fun we had. Yuki was an amazing teacher, and we loved how genuinely interested she was in our Puerto Rican culture. I’m so glad we booked this experience on our first day in Japan, as it served as a great icebreaker for someone who had never been to Japan, making us feel super comfortable for the rest of the trip. Her entire team was incredibly friendly and even gave us suggestions for popular local restaurants. If this is your first time in Japan, I highly recommend giving this a try! Thank you so much, Yuki, for sharing your beautiful culture with us!
Julie_R, Nov 2024
I did a wonderful 2 hour cooking experience - just me and my teacher Yuki. There was a range of food items to choose from prior to the experience. We made miso soup, okonomiyaki and miso glazed eggplant. Yuki was patient and clear with her instructions, explaining things as we went along. I learned so much! Talking to her while we cooked was insightful and we made a generous amount of food, all of which was delicious. After the cooking experience she also assisted me to get to my next destination by giving me directions to the train station.
Heather_I, Nov 2024
Friendly host. I was the only one, so it was very catered to me. Learned the basics of everyday Japanese food and got to see it applied in the rest of my trip. Very cute location. Not an actual home, but homey and the surrounding neighborhood has charm. Learned lots of thing to complete a whole bento box
Andrew_M, Oct 2024
They cancelled at the last minute. Despite being booked a month in advance. No cooking experience for us
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Dear valued customer,
I'm sorry for the trouble.
I'm Masa Kawai, the supervisor from Yanesen. We were looking forward to cooking with you. However, our instructor had an emergency illness. As it could have been a virus, we closed immediately for safety.
We also reported this to Viator customer service, and we have already requested a full refund. The Viator systems will arrange the refund.
Once again, we apologise for the inconvenience you experienced.
Warm regards,
Team YANESEN TICC, Masa Kawai.
penelope_j, Sep 2024
Lived this class! Such a great opportunity to really learn how our favourite dishes were made. Being just us we were able to ask ll the questions and have a go at everything. The teacher was so lovely
James_N, Aug 2024
We had a great time in the cooking class! Felt welcomed like family. Learned how to cook soba noodles and gyoza. Everyone had fun. It was a great experience!
dlmiller4, Aug 2024
What a fun and memorable experience! We had such a great time making miso soup, udon noodles and tempura. Yuki- San and her assistant were so wonderful and friendly. Their English was very good and we can definitely replicate the recipes at home.
It was one of highlights of our time in Tokyo!
Highly recommend this experience!
Erik_V, Jul 2024
Great experience and a fun time making unique dishes that you can do everyday. It was a little difficult to find but the coffee shop staff were super helpful and got us back to where we needed to be.
Patricia_B, Jul 2024
We cooked the Ton-Katsu, miso and "nasu dengaku" miso-glazed eggplant. The hosts were welcoming and talkative (with excellent English). We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. (And are now totally hooked on miso-glazed eggplant!!)
A bit of guidance on the location: It's a on a side street off Yomise Street. You check in at a little coffee shop called ko hi ko jo.
Rachel_C, Jun 2024
This was such a great experience! I really enjoyed the cooking and the food. This tour is a small group activity, so for solo travellers is one on one - which is a great way to get some individual instruction and the menu is individualised to your taste. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone visiting Tokyo.
Pat_M, May 2024
Chef, Uki was wonderful, patient and thoroughly explained the hows and whys of cooking udon and tempura. The results were delicious Japanese foods we will feel comfortable making when we are home. We can't wait to try them again. Knowing how to tell if the oil was at the correct temperature hlped us lose our fear of deep frying. And it was really fun to use our feet to kneed the dough for the udon — in ziplock bags of course.
tikashahdmd, May 2024
We had a great time learning how to prepare fish and eggplant - Japanese style with YukiSan - she was super friendly and fun to hang with. Would highly recommend! Plan to go shopping on Yanaka street afterwards! Fun little area!
Edward_E, Apr 2024
We had a wonderful time cooking in the studio, Masa-san was very helpful and accommodating as we had an extra person in our party and made us excellent coffee from their shop out front.
The class was easy to follow for chefs of any level with helpful little details and a clear recipe plan we could take home and make notes on. We are very experienced cooks and we still learnt quite a lot.
We made plenty of delicious food from scratch to have lunch together afterwards.
Highly recommended! Xx
Katherine_G, Apr 2024
This was such a blast - we had the best time learning how to make sushi and gyoza. Our instructors were just a good time overall: lively, kind, and fun. We left full and happy. We would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary to do in the area!
From $118.83
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Home Cooking in Yanaka – Local Flavors in a Warm Setting
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