Masako grew up watching her mother and grandmother prepare traditional Japanese cuisine. She was a curious child, who always asked questions about each ingredient used in the dish. As a traveler who has experienced local cuisine and unique cultures around the world, she hope's to introduce travelers to authentic Japanese culture and home cooking. She has renovated a 90-year-old traditional Japanese house in Kita-Senju, where she conducts cooking classes for travelers. It has a kitchen, a spacious dining room, and a tatami room (a traditional Japanese room where you can stretch your legs and relax), decorated with Japanese calligraphy and traditional dolls. You can get a real feel for the interior of a typical Japanese home and taste authentic home cooking, simple Japanese food she grew up eating.
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal: (1-6 guests) You will be welcomed with a cup of green tea and watch as Masako writes your name in Kanji (Japanese calligraphy), she is a qualified calligraphy professional! She cooks simple and nutritious dishes for her family. And her wish is to provide easy-to-prepare dishes that guests can easily re-create back home! Masako offers four menu choices for your meal. See the sample menu below for details and make sure to send her a message stating which meal you would prefer.
Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join Masako in her kitchen and learn to cook authentic Japanese recipes from scratch. In your Japanese cooking class in Tokyo learn to make udon from scratch with a local. You will be kneading the dough with your hands (and feet) and turning it into noodles. It is hard work but worth it to get heavenly homemade udon noodles, far superior to store-bought ones. Other meal options that you can choose from (instead of udon noodles) in your cooking class are okonomiyaki or tempura or Japanese sweets. Please let Masako know your preference when you create your booking. Dishes will be cooked using some fresh, seasonal ingredients from the farmers market in Niigata. After cooking, you will enjoy a sit-down meal that ends with sweet homemade plum or yuzu sake.
Notes: Since Masako speaks limited English, her translator will be present during your experience. Please note that Masako does not accept children for a cooking class for safety reasons.
Languages spoken: Japanese
This experience with Masako taught us a variety of dishes alongside udon noddles, such as tempura, a vegan tofu dish, and tamagoyaki (egg roll omelette). Also as a bonus which is not mentioned - Masako did beautiful calligraphy pieces for each member of the class!- kirsten January 05, 2026
The Udon Noodle cooking experience was the HIGHLIGHT of my trip! I felt that the cost was WELL WORTH it, given how much time we spent and all the wonderful cooking tips! I would most certainly book again!!!- Angie November 24, 2025
My girlfriend and I had such an unbelievably fun time with Masako! She taught us in great detail and answered all of our questions. The food turned out amazing! Thank you so much!- Jake November 17, 2025
We had a wonderful time cooking with Masako in her home! She is THE sweetest and kindest lady, and we are so thankful for welcoming us into her home and teaching us how to cook a traditional omelet, tempura, and udon noodles! Masako was very accommodating to diet restrictions which I fully appreciated. We will forever remember this experience, and HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend it to travelers! This cooking experience was very interactive, we cooked the food ourselves with Masako’s careful guidance. These recipes are handed down to her from her Mom and Grandma which made the experience more special for us. This was one of the best parts of our trip to Japan. Masako’s calligraphy is stunning, we can not wait to put it in a frame in our home to remember the experience along with other special gifts Masako gave to us. If you are in Tokyo, please book this experience! Very easy to get to and find!- Catherine November 01, 2025
Masako's cooking class was wonderful. Learned how to make udon, rolled omelet and tempura from a very kind and passionate cook. Had a delicious meal and Masako surprised us with some calligraphy and very generous gift.- Mariene October 15, 2025
Masako was an incredible teacher and did an amazing job creating a welcoming and warm environment. We came to take a cooking class and got so much more. She explained every step in great detail, was incredibly fun, and went above and beyond to ensure we had an amazing experience. Don’t want to spoil too much, but be prepared to leave with stuffed bellies and full of smiles. Please do yourself a favor and spend a few hours of your time in Tokyo to take her amazing class. We went to celebrate my wife’s birthday here and it was the highlight of her day.- Alejandra September 28, 2025
What a wonderful experience for our family. Directions to the location were clear and easy to find. We had a great time making (and eating) Udon noodles, Japanese omelette, and tempura. Would absolutely do this again.- Alex July 10, 2025
Masako took the time to explain each step and showed us the ingredients to get. She shared with us some Japanese culture. It was definitely more than a cooking class experience.- Anthony June 17, 2025
We had a great time with Masako learning to make udon and tempura. She had great energy and made us feel very welcome. The instructions were easy to follow and the course was fairly basic so people should not worry if they are not experienced cooks. You will have good fun regardless of your ability- Dominique May 31, 2025
Masako is truly an inspiration! She taught me so much about cooking and much more! Seriously the number of things she has expertise in is astounding, and of course giving a great cooking class in English is one of them! I felt I was in great care the entire time and really enjoyed our conversations. With her instructions the food prep was fun and engaging and turned out delicious 😋 雅子さんは達人です!- Billy April 21, 2025
Udon noodles from scratch is just a small part of this busy cooking session. Learned and ate lots; tips and tricks that can transfer to your own kitchen back home. Highly recommend!!- Susan_P December 04, 2024
Our cooking class with Masako was one of my family's highlights of our Japan trip! It was so special to get off the "beaten path" of touristy activities and learn how to cook with Masako in her home. Masako was so kind and generous to our family and made us feel so welcomed and supported as we learned to cook udon noodles and soup, tamagoyaki, and vegetable/shrimp tempura. She is an excellent teacher! We just returned home from our trip and have already made tamagoyaki in our own kitchen using the techniques Masako taught us. Highly recommend this experience to anyone seeking an authentic local experience. Thank you Masako!!- Beatrice August 17, 2024
Our cooking class with Masako was one of my family's highlights of our Japan trip! It was so special to get off the "beaten path" of touristy activities and learn how to cook with Masako in her home. Masako was so kind and generous to our family and made us feel so welcomed and supported as we learned to cook udon noodles and soup, tamagoyaki, and vegetable/shrimp tempura. She is an excellent teacher! We just returned home from our trip and have already made tamagoyaki in our own kitchen using the techniques Masako taught us. Highly recommend this experience to anyone seeking an authentic local experience. Thank you Masako!!- Beatrice August 17, 2024
The udon was delicious. Masako was very knowledgeable. We were able to learn how to make tamagoyaki, tempura, and dashi. She was very sweet and we had a great time with her. My sons thoroughly enjoyed the cooking class. Would recommend this class.- Shirley May 31, 2024
A fantastic experience! Really enjoyed the food and company. Great job!!! Recommend this experience. Come hungry!- Kathryn April 16, 2024
Fantastic experience. It was enjoyable making udon from scratch and this was the highlight of the experience. We also made and ate tempura and tamago yaki. We finished the evening with a demonstration of calligraphy.- Shunpe April 15, 2024
Masako's Japanese Cooking and Udon Making Class in Tokyo deserves a solid 5 stars! Not only is she a skilled cook and master calligrapher, but her English is impressive, making explanations clear and enjoyable. I learned a lot, enjoyed a delicious meal, and the personalized touch of my Japanese name and words of wisdom was the perfect finale. Highly recommend!- Walter_L March 09, 2024
Masako is an amazing cook and an excellent teacher. No need for a translator. She was very knowledable and it was a very fast pace cooking lesson. We will definitely be checking in the next time we fly back.- jennifer January 16, 2024
Masako is an amazing cook and an excellent teacher. No need for a translator. She was very knowledable and it was a very fast pace cooking lesson. We will definitely be checking in the next time we fly back.- jennifer January 16, 2024
We had a fabulous time throughout the whole experience. Masako is an excellent host. She taught us how to make Udon noodle, tamago, and tempura from scratch, shared her family recipes, and showed us her calligraphy skills. She was warm, patient, and fun. All the food turned out delicious. They were simple to make but we learned some new techniques from her. It was without a doubt one of the most memorable experiences and dinners we had in our many trips to Tokyo.- Lan_Y December 22, 2023
It was such an incredible experience. Masako made us feel right at home and guided us step by step. It has been the highlight of our trip.- Zoila E June 22, 2023
I was so jazzed to see the inside of a real Japanese house, so that was a rich experience. Masako was so kind, and, contrary to the event description, she did not use or need a translator! I loved how she juggled the 4 of us to do different tasks. And the final lunch was splendid! Highly recommend -- even my headed 14-year-old niece loved it!- Farah_F June 10, 2023
Masako was welcoming and knowledgeable - we had a wonderful evening of hands on cooking of generous portions of delicious food. She taught us well so that I am confident in my ability to replicate the dishes and amooking forward to doing so. Doomo arigato gozaimasu Masako San!- M3311KZ June 05, 2023
Wow what an amazing evening! It was an actual typhoon outside so getting there kind of sucked (kinda far north) but once we got in there, it’s like we walked into paradise. The woman was already so nice offering water/tea. We started making udon dough right away. Lots of kneading. Then we made tamogoyaki (eggs with sugar and miso). Each person got to make their own which was fun! We then fried a bunch of vegetables and learned some tricks of the trade. We cut up the udon dough to make noodles and cooked them. Lastly we got two different kinds of wonderful sake. We thought that was it and were extremely happy about it but there was more. The woman made us a fan with symbols that resembled us and our names. It was honestly really beautiful. THEN we got the small pan for frying the eggs as a gift! This class was incredible - all the small touches made this top notch. Lastly to top it all off, the woman’s friend was there make it all with us and he drove us home! Which was truly the icing on the cake when it was pouring rain and a 45 minute commute. HIGHLY RECOMMEND- Ali_W June 02, 2023
This was such a great experience!! The class took place right in Masako's home. She was so welcoming and a wonderful teacher. My adult kids and I were the only ones participating on that evening. We made an egg/miso appetizer to start, and then began working to create our udon noodle dish. I learned many different tips on kneading dough. We also made tempura vegetables and shrimp. It was such a fun time; she was such an engaging teacher. At the end, she even hand-crafted individual fans with our names in Japanese characters! I highly recommend this class!- Alice A April 12, 2023
Masako was so lovely and very knowledgeable. We had some of the tastiest udon served with multiple other dishes and a few other surprises. Come hungry! I can't wait to go home and try replicating what we learnt- Tav R April 05, 2023
I highly recommend this cooking class with Masako! It is so much more than just a noodle class!! Miasako is delightful and taught us how to make noodles, tempura, miso soup, and other things that I can’t remember the name of. Come to this class hungry because there is so much food!!!- Joanhi March 31, 2023
My girlfriend and I met up with Masako to learn how to make udon noodles from scratch and fry tempura. She added on how to make the classic omellete as well as miso soup and dashi. Hearing about how she learned how to make these recipes from her mother and the general conversation eere reqlly interesting. At the end she gave us some sightseeing tips and a souvenir! I would definitely reccomend her to anyone interested in a cooking class. It was very personal and a highlight of our trip.- Adventure63239239076 November 01, 2018
Masako met us at the station and took us through the little streets near Asakusa (old Asakusa where the Geisha are, very traditional Japan) to her studio. We cooked our brains out for a couple of hours - tamago yaki, tempura and of course udon (quite a process to make it from scratch) - all delicious. Masako finished the evening by writing out our names in hiragana and kanji. Definitely a fun experience! You should go.- NOTLGeoff November 01, 2018
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