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🍜 Food & Cooking in Japan

Small-group tours, day trips, cooking classes and multi-day adventures. Every tour vetted for traveller reviews first.

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Japanese Katsu Curry Cooking Class–near YANAKA, Tokyo!

★ 5.0 (36)

🍜 Food & Cooking

Japan

Japanese Katsu Curry Cooking Class–near YANAKA, Tokyo!

A 2.5-hour hands-on cooking class in Yanaka where you'll make curry roux from scratch and fry tonkatsu in a home kitchen run by a local chef. You'll learn to customise flavours to your taste, work through simple recipes designed for home cooks, and discover ingredient swaps that work in your own kitchen. Vegetarian adaptations available with advance notice. The studio sits in a quiet residential pocket of Tokyo's old downtown, giving a real sense of everyday Japanese domestic life.

Tokyo Ginza Authentic Food Tour (Izakaya Hopping by local guide)

A 3–4 hour guided food tour through Tokyo's Ginza neighbourhood, hitting three authentic izakayas and local eateries with a fluent English-speaking local guide. You'll eat 8–10 dishes and drink 4 beverages (including sake) across stops featuring fresh seafood, wagyu, and seasonal specials rarely advertised to tourists. Small groups mean personal attention; the guide doubles as a photographer, so you'll have images of the meal and neighbourhood.

3 hours – 4 hoursfrom AUD $249

Private Sake Tasting in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

★ 5.0 (35)

🍜 Food & Cooking

Japan

Private Sake Tasting in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

A two-hour private sake tasting for 1–4 people led by Kenji, a certified international sake sommelier with years of brewery experience. You'll taste eight sakes from across Japan paired with traditional snacks at a standing bar in central Kyoto, learning production methods, ordering etiquette, and how to properly appreciate the drink. Perfect for anyone wanting hands-on education from an insider rather than a generic introduction.

Matcha Grinding Experience and Walking Tour in Uji Kyoto

A 4-hour walking tour combining Uji's tea heritage with hands-on matcha preparation. You'll grind your own matcha using a traditional stone mill, visit the UNESCO-listed Byodo-in Temple (the building on Japan's 10-yen coin), and learn why this region produces Japan's finest green tea. Guided in English, suited to tea enthusiasts and anyone curious about Japanese craft traditions.

Kid-Friendly Sushi Making Class in Tokyo (English-Led)

A 2.5-hour sushi-making class in Tokyo led by English-speaking instructors, open to ages 8 and up. You'll prepare vinegared rice and four sushi varieties, take part in a quiz on etiquette and trivia, and learn about sushi history and Japanese phrases. The focus is on participation and cultural exchange rather than advanced knife technique — ideal for families, couples, and first-time cooks who want a social, low-pressure introduction to sushi crafting.

Osaka: Private Japanese Traditional Ceramics Experience

A two-hour private pottery workshop in Osaka where you'll hand-throw ceramics with an English-speaking instructor while learning about Japanese culture and gastronomy. You'll choose what to create—a sake set, tea bowl, or sushi dishes—and take home your finished pieces the same day. The studio occupies a century-old wooden house, giving you a glimpse of pre-war Osaka architecture as part of the experience.

Osaka Night Walk : Discover Umeda Food and Pub

A 3-hour evening walk through Osaka's Umeda district centred on izakaya hopping and local food. You'll visit three different venues—from retro arcades to sleek modern bars—with a local English-speaking guide, trying takoyaki, kushikatsu skewers, and edamame while sampling four drinks (beer, sake, highball, shochu, or craft beer). Best for those keen on street-level Osaka culture rather than polished tourist spots.

Private Pewter Sake Cup Experience with a Kyoto Artisan

A 2.5-hour workshop in Kyoto where you'll craft your own pewter sake cup under the guidance of a master pewtersmith at Craft Gallery SALUK. Limited to 4 guests, this hands-on experience lets you work with a material central to Japanese culture since the 8th century, then take home your finished cup in a paulownia wood box. No prior metalwork experience required.

Okonomiyaki & Gyoza Cooking Class with Local Supermarket Visit

A hands-on 2.5-hour cooking class where you'll make Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and gyoza from scratch, then eat what you've cooked. You'll learn the technique for flipping the layered pancake with special tools and the trick to getting gyoza crispy, plus tour a local supermarket to source ingredients. Award-winning class that suits anyone curious about Japanese home cooking, no prior experience needed.

Tokyo life after 5 - Foods & Drinks

A 3-hour guided food and drinks tour through Shinjuku's local izakaya and standing bars, taking you off the touristy strip to eat yakitori and grilled dishes at neighbourhood spots where locals actually drink. You'll taste five dishes across two restaurants paired with three complimentary drinks—sake, beer, and bar selections—and get a genuine read on Tokyo's after-hours drinking culture without the crowds.

3 Hours Kyoto Insider Sake Experience | Tasting Konteki

A 3-hour guided brewery tour and tasting session at Higashiyama Sake Brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto, led by a certified Sake Sommelier. You'll taste 10+ varieties, learn how sake is made, and explore the attached Kappa Museum. Ideal if you drink sake but struggle to choose—you'll finish knowing your preferences and able to read Japanese labels and menus with confidence. Small-group format with personalised attention and food pairings included.

Sake "Omakase" in Osaka : Guided Tasting by a Active Sake brewer

A 90-minute sake masterclass at a refined Osaka bar, hosted by the owner — a former sake brewery trainer. You'll taste multiple sakes paired with three seasonal Japanese dishes while learning about brewing history, production methods, and sake's place in Japanese culture. The intimate, traditionally-designed space in Fukushima puts the focus entirely on flavour and craft, with direct access to someone with hands-on brewing experience.

Handmade Japanese Glass Art Sandblasting Workshop in Tokyo

A 90-minute sandblasting workshop in Tokyo where you'll learn direct from Master Nakagawa, a professional glass artist, rather than an assistant. You'll design and complete a functional glass artwork using a professional sandblasting machine, choosing from traditional Japanese motifs. Small-group instruction means personalised guidance throughout, and you'll take home a refined piece that works as both souvenir and everyday object—all uncommon for a craft experience of this length.

Mochi Matcha Gluten Free Japanese Sweets Class near Shibuya area

A two-hour hands-on class where you'll make four traditional Japanese sweets: strawberry daifuku, mochi ice cream, gluten-free matcha pancake, and dango. Held in a certified teacher's home near Sangenjaya (5 minutes from Shibuya), this class covers the history and techniques of Japanese confectionery, starting from basics. You'll take home recipes to recreate each sweet. Suitable for ages 4 and up, with all sweets naturally low in fat and gluten-free.

Tokyo - Shinjuku's Most Underrated Eats (3 stops, 3 drinks)

A 3-hour food tour through Shinjuku that hits three local restaurants and includes three drinks, designed for anyone keen to eat where locals do rather than tourist strips. You'll move through Tokyo's busiest neighbourhood with a guide who brings personality to the stops, sampling dinner across venues that represent the area's actual food culture. Best suited to confident eaters who want neighbourhood depth over polished presentation.

Tokyo: Matcha Tea Ceremony Experience at Japanese room in Shibuya

A one-hour guided tea ceremony in a traditional Japanese room in Shibuya where you'll learn etiquette, prepare your own matcha, and taste different teas. You'll work through the ritual under instruction from a practitioner in a quiet setting, handling authentic tools and learning the mindfulness principles underlying the practice. Suit anyone curious about Japanese culture or seeking a calm, meditative experience.

Private Sushi Experience with Master Chef near Osaka Kyoto & Kobe

A fully private three-hour sushi-making class where you'll work one-on-one with a professional sushi master to craft over 20 pieces of nigiri, then eat what you've made. You'll pick your own start time between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM (lunch or dinner slots available), learn proper fish selection and hand-rolling technique with sanitary gloves, and leave with skills you can use at home. No other groups join — it's just you, your group, and the chef.

Discover Real Osaka: A Cultural Walk with Food & Drink

A 4-hour guided walk through Osaka's central neighbourhoods, sampling takoyaki, okonomiyaki and sake while a local guide shares stories and points out quieter spots tourists typically miss. Suits first-time visitors wanting to eat and move rather than stop at museums, with flexible 4–6 hour options and the choice of group or private format. You get lifetime access to the guide's curated map links for future visits.

Tokyo Soba Making Experience – Easy & Fun! Make Your Own Soba

A hands-on 2-hour soba-making class where you'll learn traditional noodle craftsmanship using authentic tools and techniques. Small groups mean personal instruction suited to beginners and food enthusiasts alike. You'll knead, roll, and cut fresh soba dough, then taste your own noodles at peak freshness — a noticeably different experience from store-bought versions. More cultural workshop than cooking demo, this connects you directly to Japanese culinary tradition.

Private Food & Sake Tour in Central Kyoto with Sake Sommelier

A private 3-hour evening bar crawl through central Kyoto with sake sommelier Kenji, visiting two to three local bars serving drinks and food tailored to your group's preferences. You'll explore Japan's sake culture alongside craft beer and pub cuisine in a neighbourhood most visitors skip, guided by someone with decades of tasting experience and insider knowledge of Kyoto's drinking scene. Groups of 2–4 only; non-drinkers welcome to enjoy the food, but all participants must be at least 20.

Make Your Own Soy Sauce in Japan’s Old Capital Asuka Nara

A 2.5-hour hands-on workshop at a 100-year-old family soy sauce brewery in Nara where you'll tour the fermentation process, press moromi using a traditional wooden press, bottle and label your own batch, then taste it fresh over tofu. You'll also sample mitarashi dumplings made with the brewery's signature sauce. Suited to anyone curious about Japanese food traditions and keen to take home a bottle they've made themselves.

Osaka Dotonbori Ramen Making

When Charlie from our team rolled into Ramen Dojo Osaka in the middle of Dotonbori's neon chaos, we were ready to get our hands floury. This 90-minute class walks you through building ramen from nothing—mixing and kneading dough, charring pork belly for the toppings, then constructing three different bowls (tonkotsu, shoyu, and miso) to actually eat. The vibe is beginner-friendly and the spot sits smack in Osaka's most electric food district, so you're learning in the actual heart of ramen country with a mix of other tourists keen to do the same.

Osaka Japanese Cooking And Matcha Class near Osaka Castle

A 2-hour hands-on cooking class where you prepare traditional Japanese dishes and matcha tea under guidance from a local chef near Osaka Castle. You'll cook together, then eat what you've made as lunch or dinner. Suited to families, friends, or anyone wanting to learn authentic techniques in an informal, supportive setting rather than a formal culinary school.

Japanese home cooking class in Osaka Umeda

A 2-hour Japanese home cooking class in Osaka where you'll prepare a complete meal using everyday supermarket ingredients. Choose from five menus — ginger-grilled pork, stewed meat and potatoes, takoyaki, bento box, or Japanese-style hamburg — and learn practical tips for shopping at local supermarkets. Partial demonstration format means you'll do hands-on cooking rather than watch passively. Lunch included.

Traditional Japanese Knife Sharpening Class in Tokyo [EN OK!]

A two-hour hands-on class where you'll learn to sharpen Japanese knives using traditional whetstones under expert guidance. You'll start with the history and theory behind blade care, progress through practical sharpening with stones of varying grits, and leave with your own freshly sharpened knife. All tools—including a Japanese knife, whetstones, and stand—are provided, so you need only show up ready to learn.

Private Ramen or Gyoza Cooking Class in Kyoto with Chef Midori

A 2.5-hour private cooking class in Kyoto where you'll learn to prepare either ramen or gyoza from scratch with chef Midori. You choose from five set menus, each built around seasonal and traditional ingredients sourced locally. The format is a hands-on demonstration you can replicate at home, followed by eating what you've made. You'll also get Midori's personal recommendations for Kyoto's best restaurants and shops.

Tokyo: Sushi Making Class in Shibuya Hand Rolled with Master

A 90-minute hands-on sushi class in Shibuya where you'll learn to make Temaki (hand-rolled sushi) from a professional instructor, then eat what you've made. Unlike nigiri, which takes years to master, Temaki is the accessible form of sushi—the kind served at Japanese home gatherings—and you'll walk away knowing how to host your own sushi spread. The class covers rice handling, nori technique, and the balance of fillings that makes each roll work.

Premium Kobe Beef Experience and Sake Tasting Culinary Tour

A 4-hour culinary and cultural tour of Kobe combining sake tasting in the Nada brewery district, a visit to historic Ikuta Shrine, and a teppanyaki lunch featuring premium Kobe beef cooked at the counter. You'll taste six varieties of sake, see traditional barrel-making (subject to availability), and take home a souvenir sake cup. Suited to food enthusiasts, sake drinkers, and those wanting local insights beyond standard sightseeing.

Mochi・Matcha sweets Making Class Near Shibuya at private house

A 2-hour hands-on wagashi class near Shibuya where you'll make fruit daifuku mochi and nerikiri sweets (the kind served in tea ceremony) with a certified instructor. You'll learn the history behind these treats, try a simple tea ceremony, and take home recipes and your own creations. It's held in a residential house with a relaxed, intimate atmosphere—you'll get practical tips for the neighbourhood too.

Tokyo Street Food Tour - 7 Japanese Foods

A 2-hour guided street food tour through Togoshi Ginza, Tokyo's longest shopping street with over 400 shops. You'll taste seven different Japanese street foods — from karaage to Japanese pudding — with commentary on the history and cultural background of each dish. One drink is included. Ideal for anyone curious about Japanese food culture and willing to walk at a steady pace through a busy shopping precinct.

Japanese Metal Craft Workshop: Make Your Suzu Tableware in Osaka

A one-hour metalworking class where you'll hand-hammer Suzu metal into a functional cup or plate using traditional Japanese techniques. You'll wear a craftsperson's outfit, work alongside an English-speaking instructor, and leave with your finished piece in aesthetic packaging plus a personalised keyholder. Suitable for all fitness levels and fully accessible.

Home Made Onigiri and Matcha Cooking Class in Hiroshima

A 90-minute hands-on cooking class where you'll learn to make two types of onigiri (Japanese rice balls) and matcha from local instructors in a home kitchen near Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. You'll prepare miso soup and wagashi sweets alongside your rice balls, eat lunch together, and chat with your hosts about local life. It's a straightforward, beginner-friendly introduction to Japanese home cooking held in an intimate setting just five minutes' walk from the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Mt. Fuji Ukiyo-e Japan Blue Indigo Dyeing Experience

A two-hour hands-on workshop where you'll master traditional Japanese indigo dyeing (Nihon-ai) and create a take-home textile artwork. You'll learn shibori folding techniques to dye a tenugui hand towel, then apply a silk-screen print of Mount Fuji or cultural designs under guidance from a certified instructor. The workshop is held at a small facility near Mount Fuji with public transport access, and includes a dedicated guide, materials, and photos throughout.

2 Hours Mochi &Nerikiri Making & Matcha Class in Bunkyo

A 2-hour hands-on class in a private Tokyo home where you'll learn to make mochi and nerikiri (decorative Japanese sweets) and prepare matcha, all taught in English. Maximum 4 participants means you get personalised instruction in a quiet setting overlooking the Kanda River. The instructor focuses on simplified techniques you can replicate at home, not intricate restaurant methods.

Kyoto Ramen Tour

A 2.5-hour guided ramen tour through Kyoto where you'll sample two contrasting bowls—one classic, one modern—at local shops and learn about the city's ramen heritage. You'll start with coffee or tea and a discussion of Kyoto's ramen origins before visiting the two venues. Each bowl is half the standard size, letting you taste different styles without overwhelming your appetite. Ideal for food-curious visitors who want context alongside flavour.

Tokyo: Matcha Tasting & Creative Drink Making Experience

A one-hour matcha tasting and drink-making class in Shibuya where you'll learn to prepare an authentic matcha latte using premium tea from a 10th-generation Shizuoka merchant. You'll taste the difference between everyday matcha products and ceremonial-grade Pure Matcha, guided by English-speaking hosts in a quiet retreat setting. Suited to anyone curious about Japanese tea culture or looking for a hands-on food experience in central Tokyo.

Private Tokyo Local Food and Drink Tour with a Bar Hopping Master

A 2.5-hour guided tour through Tokyo's neighbourhood bar scene in Ueno, Shinbashi or Ikebukuro. You'll visit two traditional izakayas with a local guide, order one drink and one dish at each spot, and experience the casual drinking culture that regular Japanese salarymen and locals actually frequent. This is Tokyo away from the tourist trails — small venues, standing-room crowds, and conversation with whoever's at the counter.

Nara:Tea Tasting&Private Tea Ceremony -Master Matcha Making-

A 90-minute private tea ceremony in Nara where you'll taste five locally sourced teas, learn matcha-making directly from a tea master, and sample traditional Japanese sweets. You'll receive one-on-one instruction with personalised feedback on technique, plus insider conversation with your host about places worth visiting across Japan — ideal if you want hands-on cultural learning rather than a passive tasting.

Sake Blending Experience : Craft Your Own Signature Sake

A two-hour hands-on sake-blending workshop where you mix five component sakes into a custom 500ml bottle under guidance from a WSET Level 3–certified brewer. You'll learn the post-fermentation blending technique rarely shown to visitors, taste five distinct sake styles, and personalise your label with a kanji character of your choice. You leave with your own signature bottle.

Tokyo Lucky Cat Painting Workshop at Gotokuji

A 45-minute hands-on painting workshop where you'll decorate your own Maneki-neko (Lucky Cat) figurine in Gotokuji, the Tokyo neighbourhood credited with originating this cultural symbol. You'll use paint pens and stickers to personalise your cat, then take it home the same day. Suitable for all ages and skill levels with no experience needed.

45 minfrom AUD $45

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