Creative Japanese Cooking in a Beautiful Tokyo Home with Makiko
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Your host Makiko is a true Tokyo native and lives in a beautiful, spacious townhouse in the residential neighborhood around Komazawa Olympic Park. Makiko values fresh, seasonal, traditional Japanese ingredients sourced locally and uses them in her dishes to add distinctive flavor to her food. Join Makiko for a market tour of the local supermarket as well as the fish and vegetable shop and learn about essential Japanese ingredients that locals use in their everyday cooking before you experience a hands-on cooking lesson in Makiko's kitchen. This is a beautiful opportunity to learn from a local and return home with valuable knowledge on how to transform essential ingredients into creative flavorful dishes.
Additional Info
Menu may vary depending on the season
If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
Please advise any specific dietary requirements [in the "Special Requirements" box] at the time of booking
Private, personalized experience
Please note: there is a cat in the house that is shy and quiet and is usually found hiding upstairs when guests are in the home
Please note, this is not a commercial cooking class, rather this experience is a visit into a Tokyo home to meet a local who is an expert cook, and share Japanese culture and cuisine together.
What To Expect
Join Makiko for a private tour of the local supermarket and learn how to shop like a real Tokyo native! After the tour, you will join Makiko in her home kitchen for a hands-on cooking lesson of traditional-inspired, homemade Japanese dishes. Makiko will explain the cooking process in detail and share important tips about Japanese cooking that are not taught in recipe books. The cooking portion of your experience will take 1.5 – 2 hours depending on the number of people in your group. After the dishes have been cooked, you will sit down together at her dining table and enjoy the feast you helped prepare. Makiko is an expert on Japanese cuisine, so feel free to ask her anything about Japanese food and ingredients. Don't miss out on this unique culinary experience with a Tokyo native in her beautiful home! If you're only interested in a cooking class without the market tour, please choose the Cooking Class Only tour option. This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and immerse yourself in a delightful cultural and culinary experience!
Sample Menu
starter
Vegetable ohitashi
main
Chikuzenni
the traditional Japanese dish of chicken and vegetables cooked together
starter
Miso eggplant
Options
Cooking Class Only with Makiko
Market Tour + Cooking Class
Evening market tour + cooking : Market tour and cooking class with your host Makiko.
What‘s Included
Japanese cooking class and meal
Private super market tour with your host Makiko
Pick up from Sakurashinmachi station on Tokyu Denentoshi Line
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
7 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We had a lovely evening...
Ewald R,May 25, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a lovely evening with makiko in her home and spent a lot of time talking about japanese cuisine and of course cooking it. Recommend this experience to anyone
Thanks alot!
Manuel O,May 23, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We had an awesome and interesting evening with Makiko and would definitely book this activity again!
A Fascinating Way To Experience Japanese Culture
WineTraveller,Jun 10, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We love doing cooking lessons whenever we travel abroad. And this session with Makiko was too interesting to pass up! She met us at the local subway station and walked us to her neighborhood grocery store. It was a fascinating tour that went aisle-by-aisle, exposing us to Japanese ingredients, home cooking trends, and what new trends were evolving in Japan. We then went to her home in a lovely neighborhood where she shared what mealtime was like in a normal Japanese home. This included all sorts of introductions to cooking Japanese-style. The table was groaning under the weight of everything we made with her and the food was absolutely delicious. At the end of the evening, she drove us back to a nearby train station. This was a fascinating evening that not only gave us exposure to Japanese food but also an incredible insight to Japanese life, something you don't get in most tourist activities.
Amazing experience
Guy S,May 8, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00This was one of the best experiences of our trip! Makiko was such a lovely host, teaching us about the different processes and sharing interesting stories. The supermarket tour was great with a local point of view. And of course the food is amazing! And it was so interesting having real home style Japanese cooking. If you’re looking for a more intimate experience with a peek into a Japanese household you should definitely try this one.
Excellent Cultural experience!!
cindyq2,Apr 14, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Maikiko was a great host. We toured a butcher, vegetable market, mochi and grocery store with an excellent description of local food. We enjoyed learning to cook several dishes that tasted wonderful. She gave us recipes to recreate the meals at home. She also spent time giving us Subway tips to help us navigate the busy stations. She dropped us off at the station when we were done. Exceptional hospitality and great seeing how the locals shop and cook. We loved it and when we return we will definitely book this tour again. Thank you Maikiko!
Our tour with Makiko was amazing...
Margaret T,Apr 13, 2018
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour with Makiko was amazing. She met us at the train station. First she showed us in some of the grocery stores around her neighborhood such as meat, convenience, fruit/ veggies. She also took us into a sweet shop and bought us Mochi. I fell in love with Mochi and had it a lot during the rest of our trip in Japan. We walked to her home. Her house is very lovely and well kept. She offered tea and gave us the directions to make our meals. We had no idea how much food we would be making! We prepped and made the foods then ate it. I loved the g? sushi and hope to make it again some day. Her cat came downstairs and she said he never does that so we must be real cat lovers. Finally she drove us to the trainstation to leave. It was an amazing tour and everyone who wants to learn to cook Japanese foods should try it.
Makiko was excellent! She met us at...
Emilia D,Jan 2, 2018
- Review from Viator
5.00Makiko was excellent! She met us at the train station, walked us through a butcher shop and market to show us how and where the locals shop. She then took us to her home where she taught us how to cook dishes that we had requested. She is good with large groups and was very accommodating of our needs. Would do this again!
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