Private Tour
SHIRAKAWA Japanese Culture Experiences with private English staff
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
You can experience Japanese culture such as knife sharpening, obanzai cooking and calligraphy lecture at Furukawacho Shopping Arcade in Shirakawa area in Kyoto, Japan.
The concept of Furukawacho Shopping Arcade is “Retro and Modern.” This shopping arcade is the kitchen of the locals and the base of their lives. The lanterns hung from the arcade roof creates a unique atmosphere. You will surely enjoy the nostalgic culture and local food culture experience of Kyoto, at Furukawacho Shopping Arcade.
An English private staff attends to each group.
●Notes:
We will contact you via email or messege within 3 business days after your application/payment.
You may not be able to participate in the workshop of your choice, as this will depend on reservation availability. In this case, the prepaid fee will be refunded to the credit card you used for the payment.
And also, this course accepts the people from 2 to 6 only. Please be aware of it before you make a reservation.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What To Expect
You can choose two experiences from the three options below. An English-speaking staff will attend to you at all of the workshops. Please let us know by messege. [1] Knife sharpening (90 min) You will be experiencing knife sharpening at a store specializing in sharpening cutting tools on a whetstone. Receiving instruction from an artisan with a 26-year career is an experience available only at Furukawacho Shopping Arcade. Learn to sharpen knives properly, and your daily cooking will surely be more enjoyable. [2] Obanzai making (70 min) “Obanzai” is a term used exclusively in Kyoto, that indicates home-cooked dishes with recipes handed down by generations within each family. The chef-owner of an obanzai store at the shopping arcade, Kyo-gohan Nishimura, will share the family recipe. You will buy ingredients at stores at the shopping arcade, and cook obanzai dishes with the chef-owner. [3] Calligraphy experience (90 min) In this lesson, you will learn the shape of kanji and how to use brush, ink, and suzuri, and then you can actually try writing by brush beautifully. Also, ask the instructor how to write kanji for your name and complete your one-of-a-kind hanging scroll.
What‘s Included
2 workshops and an private English-speaking staff
Private transportation
Options
SHIRAKAWA Japanese Culture Experiences with private English staff
Reviews
16 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Best experience I had in my 2 weeks trip in Japan
takmanallison,,Jan 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience, well explained the process, and the teacher is willing to answer all the questions I have. Excellent experience, one of the best experiences I have in the trip ! Will be great a note is given after class so I can keep practicing when I back home.
Local market street experience that will teach you something new!
Q6714KSlaurenw,,Dec 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Super interactive and personalized experience! The food was super fresh and delicious and we truly felt we could make it on our own after learning from the experts!
Obanzai
eduardolO519HF,,Dec 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience with lots of knowledgd from real locals, a great way to complement your day when hittin those beautiful temples at Higashiyama
Experience the Beauty of Japanese Calligraphy
Explorer10354512435,,Aug 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A unique and engaging class experience. It is recommended for those seeking an interesting and memorable experience.
One of the best authentic experiences in Kyoto
jacobz283,,Jul 22, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Highly recommend!! The knife sharpening was very comprehensive and cool with the opportunity to buy a knife or a sharpening wetstone at the end, which made for great gifts. The cooking class was awesome too! One of the best parts was just being able to converse with the local shop owners through the translator that the tour provides! Thank you!
Great deep dive into Japanese food culture
813magnusd,,Apr 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the pleasure of participating in the culture deep dive course hosted by Shirakawa Japanese Food Culture Experience. First, we had a food preparation course with a next-door chef and our host from Shirakawa Japanese Food Culture Experience. We made a tofu-dressed vegetable salad and maki roll. The chef told us about the ingredients and possible variations we could make. We did most of the preparation ourselves, such as cutting and mixing of ingredients. We also assembled and rolled the maki rolls ourselves with guidance from the chef. Our host helped us translate when our limited Japanese was not enough. Conversation flowed really well, and both the chef and our host were friendly and easy to talk to. The food we made was very tasty! After the cooking part of the deep dive, we had a traditional knife sharpening session with a professional knife sharpener. He told us about what japanese knives are made up of, different knives for different uses and finally how to perform the sharpening. After first showing us the basics, we got to try ourselves. With great guidance, we managed to make our dull knives really sharp and also shiny! He showed us how easy knife sharpening can be. Our host helped us with translations for this part as well, and did a really great job. After the sessions, we got to see the knife workshop and store. We bought some really good knives, which were masterfully sharpened for us.
An Authentic and Beautiful Experience & Community
Christopher R,,Jan 17, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00I absolutely loved this experience! For the past week before this, I was doing a lot of the main tourist attractions and city locations. I knew I wanted to do something that was authentic and really learn more about Japanese culture, and this totally met all my expectations and more. Every single person involved in this was welcoming, kind, and supportive of my time there with my very limited Japanese. Chihiro (the guide I was with) was awesome, and she helped ensure I had a fantastic experience. The area is small, quaint, honest, and beautiful. It was an incredibly kind community, and felt tightly knit for the people that are there. The instructor I had for my knife sharpening class ended up eating in the same place as me for the instructor that was teaching me how to cook! They all left me with a new perspective, outlook, and experience that I could not have gotten anywhere else. And that's an amazing way to have ended my trip. Chihiro's goals for making this community more visible to people is admirable, and I'm entirely in support of that! She left me with great resources for all the stuff we learned together so I didn't forget what we cooked, what sake we tasted, the history behind it, and more.
A great way to experience Japanese culture!
Beau P,,Jan 4, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing experience. It was a fun time doing knife sharpening and making obanzai. It was a great way to experience Japanese culture. It was a highlight of our trip and we’ve been visiting Japan for 10 years. We will definitely be back to do some more next time we are in Kyoto. We want to try Ramen making next. The interpreter was fantastic too.
Getting deeper into sharpening
640juanmanuell,,Dec 27, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a very good experience if you are into sharpening. Mr Shinya Iwayama corrected the mistakes I was doing at home, and he differentiated between sharpening and making the knife beautiful. He also taught me how katanas are polished, and how to sharpen a Japanese razor blade. We used different type of knives to differentiate how to sharpen with different types of steel. Differentiating the type of knives and wetstones was also part of this experience. I took the lesson Solo and a very kind woman was there to translate between English and Japanese.
One of the best things you can do in Japan
thomsony2023,,Nov 29, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you want to do something unique, fun, and interesting, absolutely do not sleep on this experience. I went solo for the knife sharpening and ramen making class and had an amazing time actually getting my hands dirty and learning a skill I will use throughout my entire life.
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