Tokyo Sushi Making Class: Learn from a Pro Chef

A professional sushi master teaches you to fillet fish and roll nigiri in 90 minutes.

A hands-on sushi making class in Tokyo's Tsukiji Market where you learn nigiri and rolled sushi from a professional sushi master with an English-speaking guide. The class runs 90 minutes, includes a live fish-cutting demonstration, and ends with you eating five pieces of nigiri and one roll you made yourself. Vegetarian and gluten-free menus are available; the classroom is on the third floor of a traditional Japanese building and requires climbing stairs.

The Experience

The class starts with a live fish-cutting show. You'll watch the sushi master work with professional Japanese knives, filleting a whole sea bream and explaining the steps that turn raw fish into sushi-ready pieces. He'll grate fresh wasabi on a sharkskin grater—the kind restaurants use—so you see how the real thing is made. The classroom is tucked inside a hidden local building in the Tsukiji Market near Ginza, a few blocks from where the fishmongers still work.

Then you make your own. The sushi master walks you through nigiri—the hand-pressed rice-and-fish kind—and how to roll a futomaki, the thick roll. He provides all the proper utensils sourced from the market itself, and you work step by step with his help. The ingredients are the freshest the market has: tuna, salmon, shrimp, red snapper, and gunkan (the boat-shaped ones). If you're vegetarian, the menu swaps in baby corn, pickled radish, eggplant and mixed vegetables instead. Gluten-free soy sauce is available too.

By the end, you eat what you made—five nigiri and one roll—while the sushi master prepares another piece with the fresh wasabi he just grated. The whole thing takes 90 minutes. Sake and soft drinks are available for purchase on-site if you want them with your meal. Arrive on time; guests more than 15 minutes late won't be allowed to join.

What’s included

• A professional sushi master and English-speaking guide leading the class.
• a live fish-cutting demonstration with fresh wasabi grated on sharkskin.
• all proper sushi-making utensils and tableware sourced from the market.
• five pieces of nigiri sushi and one rolled sushi that you make and eat.
• vegetarian and gluten-free menus available upon request.

Good to know

Stroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Japan Wonder Travel

Is this one for you?Book this class if you want hands-on instruction from someone who does this for a living, not a casual overview. The 90-minute format gives you time to watch a real fish-cutting show and actually make and eat sushi, rather than just watch someone else do it. The classroom sits inside the working Tsukiji Market, so you're learning in the place where the ingredients come from.

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Top questions

What exactly do I make and eat in this class?

You make five different nigiri sushi—tuna, salmon, shrimp, red snapper, and gunkan—plus one thick rolled sushi (futomaki). You eat everything you make at the end of the class.

Can I do this class if I'm vegetarian or have a gluten allergy?

Yes. Vegetarian menus use baby corn, pickled radish, eggplant and mixed vegetables instead of fish. Gluten-free soy sauce is available. Let the operator know when you book so they can prepare the right ingredients.

What happens during the fish-cutting show?

The sushi master demonstrates how to fillet a whole sea bream using professional Japanese knives, showing you the steps that prepare fish for sushi. He also grates fresh wasabi on a sharkskin grater, the traditional tool used in real sushi restaurants.

Where is the classroom located?

The classroom is on the third floor of a traditional Japanese building hidden inside the Tsukiji Market near Ginza. You reach it by climbing stairs; there is no elevator.

Is there a sake pairing option?

Yes. Instead of the standard sushi making class, you can choose the Sake Pairing with Fresh Fish class, where you learn sake pairing through a tasting quiz, slice fresh sashimi with a traditional Japanese knife, and roll premium unagi sushi. This option does not include a professional chef teaching the full class.