Private Tour
Private Kyoto Sushi Cooking Class & Tea Ceremony with Emika
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
During this experience you will learn to make sushi of your choice or traditional Obanzai style dishes such as cooked and marinated mushrooms, pickled or slow-cooked seasonal vegetables and tofu dishes prepared the traditional way over an informative conversation with your host Emika in her cozy kitchen. Emika will also teach you to prepare traditional, homemade miso soup from scratch.
The cooking portion of your experience may last about an hour before you enjoy the meal you prepared together.
Emika's family owns an organic vegetable field where she harvests most of the vegetables that she uses in her cooking. Prepare to be amazed by the sheer variety of daikon radishes grown on their farm!
Join Emika and learn all about traditional Japanese cooking techniques, from chopping to marination, from a lovely local!
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Please inform your host Emika if you would prefer a sushi or Obanzai (native Kyoto) menu when making your booking
If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
Please note that if you choose the market tour option, it includes a supermarket and your private market tour happens "after" your cooking class and lunch, not before.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Local alcohol (1-2 glasses)
Private cooking class and tea ceremony with your host Emika
Supermarket and produce market tour (if you choose the Market tour option)
Hotel pickup and drop-off
What To Expect
This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine. Meet Emika at her home for a regional culinary experience that will start or end with a freshly made cup of traditional matcha green tea prepared by Emika or her father. During your Kyoto cooking class learn how to make sushi of your choice or a traditional main along with two Obanzai style vegetable dishes. Learn to prepare classic dishes, explore seasonal ingredients, and experience the flavors of Japan in a fun and engaging environment. All skill levels welcome! Emika grows her own organic vegetables that you will use in your Japanese cooking class in Kyoto. The cooking portion of your experience may last about an hour before you enjoy the meal you prepared together. Your meal ends with a tea ceremony. If you choose the Market tour option, Emika takes you on a 1 hour tour to a "supermarket" and produce store where locals typically shop. After your meal, walk together 10 min to the supermarket to get an understanding of Japanese ingredients and seasonings. Emika can help you purchase ingredients to take home.
Sample Menu
main
Choice of 1 main:
Sushi (nigiri or oshi) | Okonomiyaki | Gyoza | Obanzai main (meat or fish)
starter
Obanzai style vegetable side dishes
dessert
Japanese sweet
dessert
Japanese tea ceremony
Options
Supermarket + cooking + lunch
Cooking and dinner
Cooking, dinner and alcohol with Emika
Cooking and lunch
Cooking, lunch and alcohol with Emika
Reviews
75 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
My husband and I...
Judy M,
Oct 17, 2025
- Viator
5.00My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed spending an afternoon with Emika learning more about Japanese culture and cuisine. She is a gracious host and excellent teacher. We chose to make Okonomiyaki. They were delicious and we look forward to making them when we get back home. In addition we prepared some side dishes to go along with the okonomiyaki which rounded out our lunch. The trip to the local market was also very informative and allowed us to buy a few items to bring back with us. I highly recommend booking this experience.
Excellent afternoon...
Mallory S,
Oct 9, 2025
- Viator
5.00Excellent afternoon cooking with Emika! She is so knowledgeable about not only what you are making but all sorts of Japanese food-related culture. It’s so special to cook with vegetables from her organic garden and use her uncle’s miso for the soup. She is patient and understanding as she explains how to make things and the meaning behind the dishes, especially during the tea ceremony. Going to the supermarket afterward was such a treat too!
One of the highlights of our trip!
Lauren H,
Jul 4, 2025
- Viator
5.00What an amazing opportunity to meet, talk with, and learn to cook from a local! Emika was a thoughtful and gracious hostess, and everything was pre-planned and organized to maximize our time there. The ingredients she purchased were of the highest quality, and she even picked fresh organic vegetables from her garden. She gave us insight into daily life, culture, and her experiences working in a sushi restaurant - all while she taught us how to make an incredible meal. And we finished it with a beautiful matcha tea ceremony that was both tasty and insightful. This was one of the highlights of our trip! Thank you Emika for such an exceptional experience!
A home cooking experience that shows real Japanese home life.
Brett G,
Apr 12, 2025
- Viator
5.00Mrs. Emika was a wonderful hostess. Although a 10-15 minute walk from the Kasura station, she lives in a very nice neighborhood and we enjoyed walking, with the assistance of google map, through the winding streets of her neighborhood. Emika was warm and inviting. Although she hasn't ever spent any time in a English speaking country, her English is comprehensive and easy to understand (Eigo o Jōzuna desu). She was very good about teaching and explaining Japanese eating culture. She involved all members of our family with the cooking experience and shared the recipes with us so we could replicate them at home. We chose the sushi experience and Emika was well suited as she worked in a sushi restaurant during the pandemic. Ture to the typical Japanese meal, we also made the side dishes like sonomono, broccolini dish and miso. For the miso she used miso paste that her family makes and it had a wonderful nutty flavor as compared to other miso soups. She sourced high quality ingredients for the sashimi portion of the meal. She was also very accommodating for my wife being a vegetarian. The tour of the local supermarket was also interesting and I would highly recommend that you participate in this as well. Her supermarket has a bakery and we stocked up on some Japanese breads and fresh fruits for snacks later in the day. It was an experience that was well worth it and if we are in Kyoto again we would consider taking another class so we could try her okonomikayi or gyoza.
Great experience with Emika.
Art K,
Apr 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00This was a very enjoyable and informative experience. Emika was very patient and kind. She explained Japanese customs as well as detailed instructions in making sushi, Miso soup, and two vegtable side dishes. After making and eating our dishes, she took us to a local market to point out several Japanese food products and spices. This was a wonderful experience and well worth the time and cost.
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