Unique Private Cooking Class with a Tokyo Local Emi
Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Tokyo, Japan
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Tokyo is known for its incredible food and culinary culture. Make the most of your time in Japan with a private cooking class with a local’s home. Ask questions along the way and learn at your own pace. Your Japanese instructor will show you how to make several authentic home-cooked dishes, tailored to your group’s requirements, and you can eat them when you’ve finished.
- All food and drink is included so don't fill up before the class
- Enjoy an authentic private cooking class with a Tokyo local
- Make 3-4 authentic home-style dishes, different from restaurant food
- Menu can be tailored to your group but everyone will need to eat the same
Sample Menu
Main
Please choose any THREE dishes from the below choices.
Starter
Karaage | Japanese fried chicken
Main
Ginger fried pork
Main
Okonomiyaki (pork, pescatarian or vegetarian) - includes fish granule soup stock
Main
Gyoza (shrimp, pork or vegetarian)
Main
Onigiri (meat or fish)
Main
Tempura (shrimp and vegetables)
Main
Yakisoba (pork, pescatarian or vegetarian)
What's Included
- Private cooking class + meal with your host Emi
- Coffee and/or TeaGreen tea and barley tea
- Alcoholic BeveragesSake
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Nerima StationNerima City, Tokyo, Japan
Emi hosts this experience at one of two private cooking studios, each within walking distance of either Nerima Station or Hikarigaoka Station. She will confirm the exact address three days before your experience and provide detailed directions from the train stations.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- If any travelers in your group have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking. Please message Emi directly after your booking is confirmed to discuss the menu - she is more than happy to customize menus for you. Please note if you are vegetarian Emi is happy to accommodate your request but note that the menu for the group may change accordingly
- The Harry Potter Museum in Tokyo is about a 20 min walk from Emi's apartment! If you plan to visit the TeamLab Borderless in Azabudai Hills, the Oedo line brings you without transfer from Azabu-Juban station to Nerima
- After your cooking class + meal experience, if you wish Emi can take you to a Japanese sweet shop or Japanese tea and pottery shop or supermarket before dropping you off at Nerima station, so please let her know in advance. Please choose one place.
- This experience is not suitable for children of the age of 9 and under; children 10+ are charged the same as adults
- Emi will choose a menu on your behalf if she does not hear back from you with your menu preference, 4 days before the experience begins
- If it is a weekend and you are a group of 2-3 people, Emi hosts you at her home. If you are group of 4+ people and/or it is a weekday, Emi hosts you at her cooking studio.
- For travelers with accessibility concerns, please note that there are approximately 10 steps leading to Emi's studio.
- Groups of 4 or more must make reservations at least 2-3 months in advance, or we may have to turn away your request if we don't have a place available in the studio.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
David_P
Our cooking class with Emi was such a special experience! We made some absolutely delicious Japanese dishes, and Emi guided us through each step with patience and care. She shared so many useful tips that we can’t wait to bring back home and try in our own kitchen. The whole experience felt super authentic and local—like cooking with a friend in her home. Emi was incredibly sweet, knowledgeable, and made us feel so welcome. Highly recommend this class if you’re looking for a meaningful, hands-on experience in Japan. :)
Reviews
5.0
based on 133 reviews
kim_n, Apr 2026
emi is a quiet, polite, funny chef that knows her japanese food. we loved learning how to make tempura, chicken karaage and okonomiyashi in one night. i cant wait to try making them once we get back home
Natalia_T, Dec 2025
I had an excellent experience with Emi's cooking lesson. From the first moment, her communication was excellent, her instructions to find the studio were spot-on, and her poise, personality and knowledge were amazing. I learnt how to cook three recipes, some tricks and alternative ingredients available in my country and we chatted over a shot of sake. Time flew, because her personality is magnetic. Do not skip this activity! It will be the highlight of your time in Tokyo!
Guy_K, Sep 2025
It was great experience to cook with Emi, we learned a lot about home cooking from her. I strongly suggest to take this class!
Deborah_G, Sep 2025
We had a great time with Emi. We received the recipes for our selected dishes and met up in a kitchen studio. Emi was very kind and explained us what to do, step by step. The food was really good and we take some precious memories with us.
Our selected recipes:
Gyoza (Shrimp)
Yakisoba (Vegetarian)
Ginger fried pork
Kevin_C, Jul 2025
It was a small intimate expletive that we shared with Emi which was perfect! We had good fun learning how to cook some Japanese home cuisine which we will definitely use for the future! :) Emi was a gracious host who looked after us really well!!
Norbert_L, Jun 2025
Emi is a great host, talked a lot and learner a lot about Japan, cooking vise and more. I fully recommend!
David_P, May 2025
Our cooking class with Emi was such a special experience! We made some absolutely delicious Japanese dishes, and Emi guided us through each step with patience and care. She shared so many useful tips that we can’t wait to bring back home and try in our own kitchen. The whole experience felt super authentic and local—like cooking with a friend in her home. Emi was incredibly sweet, knowledgeable, and made us feel so welcome. Highly recommend this class if you’re looking for a meaningful, hands-on experience in Japan. :)
Sheila_T, May 2025
I booked a private cooking class for me and my husband with Emi. She emailed a couple of options for the menu and I was to pick 3 items. I chose the pork and vegetable pot stickers, pork with ginger sauce and shrimp and vegetable tempura. The class start time was 10am however, we were a half hour late due to the wrong instructions about when to get off the train that was given to us by the hotel where we were staying.
When we arrived Emi was very gracious about it.
We talked for a bit and then commenced to do the prep work for our dishes. She explained that the dishes needed to be cooked one at a time. The first thing we made were the pot stickers. They were delicious. Next up was the shrimp and vegetable tempura which was another winner. Last but not least was the pork with ginger sauce. It was a tasty dish as well. When we left her class she was kind enough to walk us to the location of the train station to get back to Yokohama.
If you are in Tokyo and want to learn to make authentic Japanese dishes you can't go wrong picking this class. I would advise to book early as this is a popular class.
Stacey_K, Jan 2025
What a fun activity that we will enjoy long term. Emi was an excellent teacher and provided great recipes that we can use at home, taking a bit of Japan back with us.
Pola_T, Dec 2024
Our cooking class with Emi was an unforgettable experience. Emi was patient, knowledgeable, and we had lovely conversations with her while learning how to cook tempura, tonkatsu, and onigiri. I can’t wait to cook these at home to remember our lovely morning with Emi. Thank you so much for having us!
Silvia_B, Aug 2024
Emi is a wonderful host, great cook and teacher. We had a really lovely evening and learned not just to prepare some traditional food, but also got an insight into customs and culture of Japanese cuisine. And the food was fabulous! Emi is very easy going, with a good sense of humour and an open mind. We can thoroughly recommend this cooking class and special experience inTokyo. Thank you so much, Emi.
Jugatz_A, Aug 2024
Beautiful experience ! You get an insight about Japanese cooking and EMI is very Knowledgeable about the city and culture. She was a wonderful host and after the class she took us to a very cute traditional pottery and tea shop. Don’t miss it if you have the chance. IT’S A MEMORABLE AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE ! ありがとうございます!
Bron_W, Jul 2024
This cooking class is well worth your while if you have the time for it. Emi was very friendly, was willing to answer our many questions and made sure we understood how to prepare each dish. In short, a wonderful time.
Sandra_A, Apr 2024
This was a delightful evening! Emi met us at the agreed place even though traffic made us 15 minutes late and took us on a short walk to her apartment. Everything was clean and well organized. We learned to cook ginger pork, tempura and gyōzas. She instructed and demonstrated but we did all the prep. The cooking area is small so she and I cooked and my husband watched and took pictures. We prepared food for two but had way too much and asked her to eat with us. It was delicious! Emi arranged for a taxi before we started and it came on time. She walked us out and made sure the driver knew where to take us. It's a great experience for 2 or 3 people and was a fun adventure on a free evening on our tour.
Alina_Z, Apr 2024
Me and my friend visited a cooking class hosted by Emi, she was lovely, very sociable, funny and most importantly- the food was great. We both didn't know where the time went as time flew by! She created a pleasant atmosphere with music, laughter and she was very kind to all of our mistakes :)
We cooked salmon with hijiki seaweed (highly recommend!), gyoza and miso soup.
Also. later in the day I lost my wallet and Emi stayed in touch with me giving some tips on how to find it. I personally give her a big thanks for that!
P.S. the wallet was later found!!!
Ingrid_H, Apr 2024
It was a nice experience and Emi was a good chef and told us a lot about food and people in japan.
The dishes were tasty and delicious
Adrian_L, Apr 2024
Emi is highly knowledgeable and friendly. You will gain valuable knowledge and insight into Japanese food and also get hands on experience in making it. We made 3 dishes all of which were amazing and we left full :)
Alexandra_P, Mar 2024
We had a wonderful time with Emi. She made us feel very welcome in her home and we had a relaxing and fun time cooking with her. I walked away with lots of useful tips for some of my favourite dishes and the meal we all shared at the end was delicious. Really happy with our experience, emi couldn’t have been kinder.
Kathy_C, Mar 2024
Emi is a great hostess and instructor. She is warm, very welcoming and gracious. She checked on our preferences before the class. She explained all of the dishes and walked us through the process. It was definitely hands on and we learned how to create a simple and delicious meal using just a few ingredients and good planning. I definitely recommend her class if you want to take home a great memory and some cool recipes!
Tommy_S, Mar 2024
Emi is the best!
We thank the oppertunity to have met her, as a person and as a teacher.
It was a very good experience
Michael_G, Dec 2023
Emi was wonderful. Her home was such a warm, cozy environment (an escape from the chaos of Tokyo). She took great care of us. She also found the right balance and pace between teaching us cooking techniques and producing a big, delicious meal!
Josh_S, Dec 2023
Emi was a brilliant host for the cooking class. She is warm, funny and told us lots of interesting things about Japanese culture and food. She was accommodating to requests we had and even recommended a cake shop to buy something for my brother's birthday. The food was delicious. Would definitely recommend this class!
Jaclyn_L, Nov 2023
We had such a wonderful time cooking with Emi. She welcomed us into her home and taught us so much about Japanese food and culture. It was certainly a highlight of our trip to Japan. The recipes were all delicious. We cannot wait to cook them when we get home. Thank you Emi!
Julia_L, Oct 2023
Emi was wonderful. Humorous and kind and she put us at ease. We were very nervous, but she made us feel comfortable.
The food was delicious! We made four dishes and they went so well together. It was very hands on, we didn’t just sit and watch Emi cook.
This is one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had in Japan, and it was a gift to be able to take something home with us that we can make again and again.
Jamie_P, Sep 2023
Thanks to Emi so much for a wonderful experience! We learned how to cook Karaage, the best I have ever had, and all the ingredients so fresh. Emi spoke excellent English and easy to communicate. She was warm and welcoming in her home, and we chatted all throughout and learned a lot from her not about Japanese food and many more. She also came to meet us at the station to take her to her home, it was all arranged very well, and super smooth. Arigatou Gozaimasu!
Christine_S, Jun 2023
It was an amazing experience. Learning the methods to cooking our particular dish along with learning the etiquette of having dinner in that particular setting is something that we honestly loved. Truly I recommend this cooking class. It’s something that you can look back at and be thankful for. Emi was also so patient with us as we were struggling to wrap the gyoza. We really appreciated that!
James_B, May 2023
Emi was very kind and patient with us while we cooked and even showed us some things in the super market by the station after. Very easy to recommend.
Carlos_I, Dec 2022
We had a great time cooking with Emi; she was patient even though we had gotten lost; she waited at the station and gave us her full attention. She taught us how to make gyoza from scratch. She even indulged my wife and me by taking us to a local market and having us try Yaki Imo. I highly recommend taking Emi's cooking class if you want intimate one-on-one instruction with a true local.
David_D, Nov 2022
We had a great time with Emi. She went out of her way to teach us how to cook tempura even though it wasn’t listed as an option. She was very kind and informative on all the tricks to making tempura.
amandaskidgel, Feb 2020
Emi was friendly and picked me up from the local station. We talked about the many things there are to do in Tokyo as we made some traditional Japanese dishes. We listened to some bossa nova music and Emi helped me find locations of places to visit during my stay. Afterwards, she showed me the local supermarket where I bought some Japanese snacks. Unforgettable experience!
From $95.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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