Unique Private Cooking Class with a Tokyo Local Emi
Enjoy a private and authentic Japanese cooking class in a local Tokyo home with your host Emi. The Harry Potter Museum in Tokyo is about a 20 min walk from Emi's apartment!
This is a perfect experience for anyone looking to connect with local culture over food. Your cooking class takes place in her home kitchen where Emi will teach you 3-4 traditional Japanese dishes from her repertoire. After years of learning from three renowned chefs, she became a culinary expert who can prepare almost any authentic Japanese dish. A Tokyo native, passionate about Japanese cooking, Emi enjoys meeting travelers and sharing her culture and cuisine over a well seasoned Japanese meal served on beautiful tableware. Join Emi and make an authentic Japanese meal, enjoyed over sake, and finished off with dessert and a cup of hot green tea!
Options
Cooking + dinner with Emi
What's included in Unique Private Cooking Class with a Tokyo Local Emi
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Step into the world of Japanese cooking with a local expert! Join Emi for a private culinary journey exploring traditional flavors and cooking techniques in an intimate setting. Depending on the day, Emi will host you either in her welcoming home or at her professional cooking studio. Begin your experience with a refreshing cup of mugi-cha (barley tea) before diving into your hands-on cooking lesson. Choose any three dishes from her curated menu (note *okonomiyaki contains fish granule soup stock). To ensure a seamless experience, all guests will prepare the same main dish, so kindly share your choice at least 4 days in advance—or Emi will thoughtfully select a menu for you. Over 1.5–2 hours, enjoy engaging conversations about food and Japanese culture while Emi guides you through creating your meal. Then, sit down to savor the dishes you've prepared together over sake. Emi shares recipes so you can recreate these cherished flavors back home. Meeting Point: - For experiences at Emi's home, meet at Nerima City Hall. - For studio sessions, meet directly at the cooking studio. This is more than a cooking class—it’s an unforgettable cultural and culinary journey.
Food Menu
MAIN - Please choose any THREE dishes from the below choices.
Karaage, Ginger fried pork, *Okonomiyaki, Gyoza, Fried salmon with hijiki seaweed and Edamame, Tempura, Onigiri, Miso soup, Gomaae.
Inclusions
- Sake
- Private cooking class + meal with your host Emi
- Green tea and barley tea
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- If any travelers in your group have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking. Please message Emi directly after your booking is confirmed to discuss the menu - she is more than happy to customize menus for you. Please note if you are vegetarian Emi is happy to accommodate your request but note that the menu for the group may change accordingly
- The Harry Potter Museum in Tokyo is about a 20 min walk from Emi's apartment! If you plan to visit the TeamLab Borderless in Azabudai Hills, the Oedo line brings you without transfer from Azabu-Juban station to Nerima
- After your cooking class + meal experience, if you wish Emi can take you to a Japanese sweet shop or Japanese tea and pottery shop or supermarket before dropping you off at Nerima station, so please let her know in advance. Please choose one place.
- This experience is not suitable for children of the age of 9 and under; children 10+ are charged the same as adults
- Emi will choose a menu on your behalf if she does not hear back from you with your menu preference, 4 days before the experience begins
- If it is a weekend and you are a group of 2-3 people, Emi hosts you at her home. If you are group of 4+ people and/or it is a weekday, Emi hosts you at her cooking studio.
- For travelers with accessibility concerns, please note that there are approximately 10 steps leading to Emi's studio.
- Groups of 4 or more must make reservations at least 2-3 months in advance, or we may have to turn away your request if we don't have a place available in the studio.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- Meet Emi at Nerima City Hall or at her cooking studio (depending on the day of the week and your group size). The Nerima City Hall office is a 5 minute walk from Nerima station. Please call Emi via Whatsapp, if you need any help with directions.
Redeem
Ticket Redemption
Host Name: Emi Ohsawa Host Email: [email protected] Host Phone: +81 090 4399 9588 WEEKEND MEETING LOCATION: If it is a weekend and you are a group of 3 or fewer people, Emi meets you at Nerima City Hall and hosts you at her home. Please meet Emi at Nerima City Hall (Address: 6 Chome-12-1 Toyotamakita, Nerima City, Tokyo 176-8501, Japan) - she will be waiting inside the office with a signboard ‘Emi's kitchen’. The Nerima City Hall office is about a 5-minute walk from Nerima station and Emi's home. Here is the Google Maps link to the meeting location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/omaoYu5z8FKS5nUo7 Nerima has Yurakucho, Fuku-toshin, Seibu-Ikebukuro, and Oedo lines. Just in case, the Yurakucho and Fuku-toshin line separates at Kotake-Mukaihara station for Wakoshi, Saitama and for Nerima. Please let Emi know in advance (2-3 days before the experience) which line you will use, so that she can suggest the best route. WEEKDAY or 4+ GUESTS ON WEEKEND MEETING LOCATION: If you are a group of 3+ people or if it is a weekday, Emi will meet and host you at a cooking studio. The cooking studio address is: 5-17-7, Sakuradai, Nerima, Tokyo. It is a 10-min walk from Nerima station. Here is a Google Maps link to the location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2eYViiLzXK6aqNLE6 Emi can send you photos and exact directions for how to get to the studio. -- Traveling Spoon is a supplier of Viator and TripAdvisor. We offer travelers authentic food experiences with locals, in their homes. Founded by two travelers and food lovers, Traveling Spoon helps others make meaningful cultural connections through food. Contact us at [email protected] if you have general questions about our services. For specific questions related to your booking please contact your host directly with the contact information provided above. We hope you have a meaningful experience and look forward to hearing about it!
