Kyoto: Private Japanese Home Cooking Class with Pickup

Summary

Kyoto hands-on cooking class at Michiyo’s home with local flavors

You’ll get picked up at Otsukyo Station and welcomed into Michiyo’s Kyoto home for a private cooking class — making dashi stock, chirashi-sushi, and more with her guidance. After hands-on time in the kitchen, you’ll share a homemade meal (with local drinks) at her family table. It’s warm, real, and leaves you feeling connected long after you leave.

What’s the experience like?

I honestly didn’t expect to be greeted at Otsukyo Station by someone as warm as Michiyo — she waved from her little car, and I just sort of knew this day would be different from any other “cooking class” I’ve done. The drive to her house was barely three minutes, but in that short time she told me about the vegetables she gets from neighbors and how her husband’s obsessed with their dachshund, El. (El is very polite, by the way.)

Stepping into Michiyo’s kitchen felt like being let in on a family secret. She introduced me to the menu of the day — nikujaga simmering gently already, that sweet-salty soy smell curling around us. We started with dashi. I’d read about it before but never realized how quietly intense the aroma could be when you stand right over the pot. Michiyo showed me how to fan the sushi rice for chirashi-sushi; I tried to copy her wrist movement but mostly just made a mess. She laughed and said it was all part of learning. Her husband popped in now and then, offering tiny sips of sake “to check if it matches.”

We cooked for maybe an hour and a half — time got weirdly soft, honestly — then sat down together at her low table. The food looked simple but tasted like something layered with stories; the tofu side dish had this freshness I can’t quite describe, maybe because of those local veggies she’d mentioned earlier. We talked about Kyoto seasons and why certain dishes only show up for a few weeks each year. There was this moment when everything got quiet except for El snuffling under the table and I thought: yeah, this is what I wanted from Japan.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Japanese home cooking experience

• Meet Michiyo at train station
• Drive to Michiyo's home
• Introduction to menu of the day
• Learn to make dashi stock
• Prepare sushi rice for chirashi-sushi
• Cook chirashi-sushi and other dishes
• Enjoy meal with Michiyo and husband

Top questions

Is pickup included for this Kyoto cooking class?

Yes, Michiyo picks you up at Otsukyo Station on the JR Kosei line.

What dishes do you cook during the class?

The menu usually includes nikujaga (meat stew), tofu side dish, dashi-based soup, and chirashi-sushi or fried chicken flavored with Japanese ingredients.

How long does the cooking portion last?

The hands-on cooking experience takes about an hour and a half.

Are drinks included?

Yes, 1-2 glasses of local alcohol are served with your meal.

Is this Kyoto cooking class private?

Yes, it’s a private experience held in Michiyo’s home.

Can dietary requirements be accommodated?

You can advise specific dietary needs when booking.

Who else will be there during the class?

You’ll meet Michiyo, her husband, and their dachshund dog El.

Where is Michiyo’s house located?

Her house is a short three-minute drive from Otsukyo Station in Kyoto.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup from Otsukyo Station by Michiyo herself, a private hands-on cooking class using fresh seasonal ingredients in her Kyoto home kitchen, all recipes and instructions for dishes like dashi stock and chirashi-sushi, plus a homemade meal shared together with 1-2 glasses of local alcohol before heading back out into Kyoto.