Culinary Arts

Taste authentic Japanese culture.

Exploring Japanese cuisine offers more than just flavors; it embodies deeply revered culinary traditions that provide tantalizing insight into the nation’s philosophy, aesthetics, and way of life. From the elegant simplicity of sushi to the intricate complexity of kaiseki course meals, experiencing Japanese dishes tell a tale of seasonality and attention to detail that can be experienced in every bite. Whether savory, like dashi stock, or sweet, like the wagashi paired with matcha tea, the harmony and balance between flavors and beliefs is capable of nourishing both hunger and cultural curiosity.

Japanese cuisine also has a rich heritage in locality, with each region developing their own specialities and surrounding environment playing a crucial role in shaping the direction and quality of dishes. Coastal cities with long-standing histories of harvesting seafood, mountainous areas with crystal clear water perfect for growing rice and brewing sake, and countless other culinary traditions have all been uniquely cultivated depending upon the culture and resources of each area, and sustained in modern times by farmers, brewers, restauranteurs, chefs, and a host of other culinary masters.

Savor the true flavor of Japan with culinary masterclasses that invite you closer to the core of authentic Japan.

 

Tokyo Culinary Experiences

 

Begin by touring the sushi restaurant and learning about the history of sushi. Then, change into workwear and make your own sushi under the guidance of a master. Finally, enjoy the delectable sushi you created.

Learn the history and the techniques required to prepare Edo-Mae Style sushi, and feast on sushi, while comparing your work to that of the Masters.

After changing into a uniform, your experience begins! You’ll learn about soba flour and different kinds of soba and then knead and cut soba noodles. Then enjoy your own handmade soba noodles along with tempura, soba-tofu and soba icecream!

Tokyo | Private Sake and Otsumami Tasting

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Tokyo | Toyosu Market Tour with Sushi Chef

Join a 5th-generation sushi chef on an exclusive tour through Toyosu's lower market. See where real sushi chefs purchase fresh catches for their restaurants and discover more about Japan's dynamic culinary scene.

 

Kansai Culinary Experiences

Learn about traditional processing methods and cooking techniques needed to prepare dashi soup stock. Taste various ingredients and blends, and prepare your own dashi.

Learn how to make two types of delicate Kyoto style wagashi, and then try some delicious “higashi”, a type of dry wagashi made by the wagashi confectioner on the spot. Enjoy your finished creations with some delicious matcha green tea.

Hyogo | Izushi Wagashi Sweets Culinary Workshop

Learn how to make two types of delicate wagashi. Enjoy your finished creations with some delicious matcha green tea in a historic tea room.

 

Kyushu Culinary Experiences

Learn about noodle culture in Japan. Experiment with noodle-making using both your hands and the machines used in actual production. Finish up with a meal of your own handmade noodles prepared by the chef.

Join the award-winning master at his store for hands-on instruction in making wagashi. Learn about local Kumamoto and seasonal specialties. Then, finish with tea and conversation with the master.

 

Hiroshima Culinary Experiences

Ji-zakana Sushi Masterclass

Learn about traditional ji-zakana sushi techniques, and make your own sushi. Then, feast on your creations along with chef-prepared local dishes.

 

Tohoku Culinary Experiences

Akita | Miso Atelier Tour & Fine Dining

Tour a miso and shoyu brewery, and learn about the traditional production process. Then, enjoy an evening of fine dining and drinks, incorporating the establishment’s products and flavors.

Iwate | Oyster Farming Tour & Tasting

Learn all about the traits of Rikuzentakata’s oysters, with plenty of sampling! Take a boat ride to observe the oyster farming process, and then enjoy oyster tasting (freshly caught and steamed!) on the spot.

 

Kanazawa Culinary Experiences

After learning the basics of fermentation and malt with the participants, we will make simple but profound pickles with malt. You can take the pickles home and enjoy them the next day. Fermented foods support Japan's rich food culture. In addition, you will be able to experience the charm of malt, which is the key to fermented food.

Go on a tour of the craft beer brewery and whiskey distillery, and get a close-up look at the process of making local alcohol. Then, to the fun part of tasting and comparing several of the location’s products.

Watch a video detailing the story of sake and Kanazawa’s oldest brewery. Then, enjoy a guided tour of “Hyakunensui” (One-Hundred Year Water) followed by a brewery tour led by Toji, the master brewer. Conclude with a tasting of the brewery’s top "Junmai" line sake.

Hokkaido Culinary Experiences

Learn about the historic origins of this Hokkaido soy sauce factory while observing the production process of soy sauce up close. Sample an array of different soy sauce styles. Experience squeezing soy yourself before finishing the tour.

Start with a brewery tour followed by a visit to the brewery's store for tasting. After a break, enjoy dinner at the restaurant, beginning with an explanation of the sake set by a brewery representative. The representative and interpreter will then leave, allowing guests to enjoy the rest of the dinner privately.

Tokyo | Vegan Buddhist Cooking Workshop

Tour the temple and learn about the tradition of Shojin Ryori. Then cook and enjoy two different dishes which will be accompanied by handmade pickles, miso soup, and clay-pot cooked rice, inside the temple grounds.

Odawara | Wagashi Making Workshop

Learn how to make a selection of seasonal wagashi from a 2nd-generation wagashi master in Odawara. After, enjoy your wagashi treats paired with a refreshing cut of matcha green tea.

 
 

At one of the best crab fishing ports in Japan, visitors will observe a crab auction, which usually only traders are allowed to attend. In the evening, we will enjoy a full-course meal of the finest crabs at a specialty restaurant.

After changing into a uniform, your experience begins! You’ll learn about soba flour and different kinds of soba and then knead and cut soba noodles. Then enjoy your own handmade soba noodles. You will learn how to make soba in detail from the owner, who is always pursuing new possibilities of traditional yet innovative soba.

Go on a tour of the sake brewery and get a close-up look at the process of making Japan’s ‘drink of the gods’. Then, to the fun part of tasting and comparing several of the brewery’s finest offerings, and learning the nuances of sake’s multidimensional flavors.

 

Board a boat and cruise along the Ariake Bay for a personal tour of the Nori Seaweed Farms. After, get a look into the roasting process and try several different Nori offerings, with a special gift to take with you when you leave.

Tour the brewery and learn about the local production techniques from a 5th-generation master. After seeing the process first-hand, sample several sake, as well as other regionally-enjoyed alcohol.

 

Onomichi Tea Roasting and Tasting

Learn about the history and preparation techniques of Onomichi-style tea, and experience a private tea tasting according to industry standards.

 

Akita | Traditional Geisha Performance and Local Cuisine

Enjoy a fine dining experience of local Akita cuisine and traditional geisha performance. As well, try your hand at preparing local kiritanpo rice cakes.

Akita | Shottsuru Fish Sauce Factory Tour & Dining

On a private tour led by the head brewer, observe the shottsuru production process and learn more about its complex taste. Then, focus on flavor at a fine dining experience featuring shottsuru-incorporated dishes.

 

Learn how to make higashi, a type of dry wagashi. Enjoy your delicious creations with matcha green tea. Afterwards, visit the museum display of intricately carved wooden confectionary molds.

Go on a Junmai sake brewery tour and get a close-up look at the process of making sake. Then, to the fun part of tasting and comparing several of the craftsman’s sake.

 

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery and learn more about the beer brewing process. Then, sample a flight of beer crafted in-house.

 
 

Read more on the Journal