Sushi Cooking Class Tokyo: Make Four Types with a Chef

Roll and press four kinds of sushi, then eat what you made

A sushi cooking class in Tokyo where you learn to make four types of sushi (inari, gunkan, maki and nigiri) in a chef's home kitchen. The instructor, who completed the Edomae Sushi Technique Acquisition Course at Tokyo Sushi School, teaches sushi history, terminology and eating etiquette alongside hands-on technique. The class caps at five students and ends with a meal of the sushi you prepared, served with beverage, dessert and a choice of three Japanese sake brands.

The experience

What makes this class different is the chef's sourcing: the rice is a special blend ordered from Hachidaime Gihey, a Kyoto supplier established in 1787, and the fish comes directly from Toyosu and Tsukiji markets. You work in a quiet residential setting rather than a commercial kitchen, which means you get real attention: the five-person cap ensures the chef can watch your hands and correct your grip on the knife and your pressure when pressing nigiri. Even if you've never handled raw fish before, the lesson builds from the simplest form (inari, which uses no raw fish) to the most technical (nigiri), so you move at a pace that makes sense.

The class runs 2.5 hours and covers not just technique but the reasoning behind sushi: its history, the names of cuts and shapes, and how to eat it properly. The chef teaches in English and Japanese, so if you speak Japanese you'll catch details a translation might skip, and if you don't, the English instruction is fluent and clear. A vegetarian option is available if you request it when you book.

You leave with a full meal (the four types of sushi you made yourself) plus a beverage, dessert, and access to sake to pair with what you've prepared. The class ends with eating, not with cleanup or a handout. The food is the point.

What’s included

• Instruction in making four types of sushi.
• the meal you prepare with beverage and dessert.
• choice of three Japanese sake brands.
• live guidance in English and Japanese.
• vegetarian option available upon request.

Information

Lasts 2h 30m, runs every day except Wednesday and Sunday at 10:30 and 17:00, from JP¥ 18,000 per person, with a live guide in English and Japanese, in groups of up to 6 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day except Wednesday and SundayDepartures at 10:30 and 17:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 61 private ›

Live guideEnglish and JapaneseOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Under 8: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Akemi's Sushikitchen

Is this one for you?The class is taught in English and Japanese, so you can follow comfortably in whichever language you speak. If you speak both, you'll catch nuances in the Japanese instruction that add depth to what the chef explains.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

What four types of sushi will I actually make in this class?

You'll make inari (fried tofu pockets), gunkan (battleship-shaped pressed rice with toppings), maki-sushi (rolled sushi), and nigiri (hand-pressed sushi with fish on top). The class moves from the simplest to the most technical, so you build confidence as you go.

Is this class suitable if I've never made sushi or eaten raw fish before?

Yes. The lesson starts with inari, which uses no raw fish, so you learn the fundamentals without pressure. By the time you reach nigiri, you'll have the muscle memory and confidence to handle it. The chef works with groups of five or fewer, so she can adjust the pace to where you are.

Where exactly does the class take place?

The class happens in the chef's home kitchen in a quiet residential area of Tokyo. Public transportation is nearby, so you can reach it easily without a car.

What happens at the end of the class? Do I get to eat the sushi I made?

Yes. The lesson culminates in a full meal of the four types of sushi you prepared, served with a beverage, dessert, and a choice of three Japanese sake brands to pair with your food.

Will the chef teach me about sushi culture, or is it just technique?

The class covers history, terminology, and eating etiquette alongside technique. The chef says even Japanese guests have told her they learned things about their own food culture in this lesson.