Japanese Cooking Classes in Tokyo in English

Jul 31, 2024

Japanese Cooking Classes in Tokyo in English

Food shopping in Japan has a reputation for being a touch on the expensive side, and as you wander the aisles of your local supermarket looking at your basic groceries – cheese, fruit, freshly baked bread – it is hard to disagree. However, if you look at local produce you will find that the weekly shop doesn’t have to be such a pain in the wallet. Indeed, cooking Japanese food is substantially cheaper than cooking a recipe from home,

The only problem may be that you are unused to preparing and cooking with Japanese foods. If this is the case, a fun and interesting – not to mention potentially money saving – cultural experience is to take lessons in Japanese cooking.

Musubi Cooking Class

Let’s start with the something simple and homey, which is a contrast from the other options. Musubi Coming Class offers lessons out of a home in midtown Tokyo so you really get a feel for the experience cooking in an actual Japanese kitchen rather than a studio. Also, don’t let the name fool you. Aside from Musubi, there is a huge choice of menus on offer, from sushi to ramen to oyakodon

Website:https://japanese-cooking-class-tokyo.com

Average price: Depending on the course, lessons can range from between 10,000 JPY and 14,000 JPY

Address: Provided upon booking. Pickup available from Hanzomon Station. 

Buddha Bellies Cooking School

Another well-known operation is Buddha Bellies. Having appeared in international news and media, Buddha Bellies are lessons with a touch of celebrity pizazz. Instructor Ayuko was trained at one of the top Kaiseki (Japanese fine dining) schools so she obviously knows her onions (and other vegetables too, no doubt). Being a JSIA (Japan Sushi Instructor Association) certified instructor, the sushi and decorative sushi classes are most popular, but there are also udon, washoku and bento classes for making those all important lunch boxes. For those of you who like a tipple Ayuko, who is also a professional sake sommelier registered with SSI (Sake Sommeliers International), offers a sake collection workshop with more than 100 bottles available for tasting.

Website: http://buddhabelliestokyo.jimdo.com/

Average price: 10,000 JPY

Address: 2-15-14, Nishikata, Bunkyo, Tokyo

Tsukiji Cooking

A cooking school in the area of the Tsukiji fish market is Tsukiji Cooking. This school offers various classes for both tourists looking for something different as well as those wanting to take their experience back to their Japanese home. Although there are also lessons for cooking okonomiyaki and gyoza dumplings, the courses focus predominantly on washoku; particularly sushi, which comes as no surprise when you consider the freshness of the fish coming directly from the nearby markets. Speaking of the market, should your group wish to do so, Tsukiji Cooking can take you on a tour prior to your lesson. Vegetarian classes are available as are lessons on preparing low sugar meals and home visit classes.

Website: http://tsukiji-cooking.com/

Average price: Up to 16,500 JPY, including market tour.

Address: Solasia Bldg.Tsukiji 5F 4−13−8 Tsukiji, Chuo City, Tokyo

 

Please note that the above is for information purposes only, and is not to be considered as endorsement.

Yumi Kimura, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons