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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Aki

Kyoto, Japan

USD
$86-$118 per person

Authentic Japanese cuisine in a beautiful wooden house in Kyoto

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Aki

Aki's love for cooking began as a young girl watching and helping her mother in the kitchen put together meals for the family. She especially enjoyed learning the recipes that her mother inherited from her grandmother that had been passed down through many generations in her family. Cooking is her deepest passion and the feeling of happiness she gets when sitting down and eating good food with loved ones is one she always craves. Aki is a shining example of Japanese hospitality. She embraces omotenashi, a deeply caring and attentive sense of hospitality that you will immediately experience when you meet her in the peaceful atmosphere of her home and notice in the attention to detail in her cooking. An avid traveler, Aki spent many years on the island of Okinawa and in East Asia where she learned the art of textiles and colors from local craftspeople. She is eager to share the beautiful culture of her own country with travelers to make them fall in love with Japanese food and hospitality.

What to expect

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: (4-6 guests) Your dining experience with Aki will begin with a warm welcome into her home. Sip on a cup of refreshing cold or hot tea depending on the season, that is sourced locally in Kyoto. You will then sit down around the dining table and enjoy a meal cooked with fresh and unique seasonal vegetables and local ingredients. Your home-style Japanese meal may include dishes such as the traditional Chikuzenni (a main dish of braised chicken and vegetables that originated from Kyushu), seasonal vegetable sides such as marinated spinach with sesame or burdock root, and miso soup. You will conclude your meal with a glass of tea.

Cooking experience: (4-6 guests) Join Aki for a hands-on cooking experience in her beautiful kitchen where you will discover how to make dishes that may not be served in restaurants as well as secret tips for familiar classics like miso soup. She will provide you with recipes in English and then guide you through the cooking process. Learn about Japanese food and culture as you cook with Aki. The cooking portion of your experience should last about an hour before you enjoy the meal you helped prepare together.

Market visit: (4-6 guests) Explore with Aki the local neighborhood street market called Demachiyanagi Shoutengai and discover everything from basic Japanese foods ingredients to high-quality, regional produce. You will spend about 45 minutes walking through the market together and picking out a few vegetables and ingredients that you will later use in your authentic Japanese cooking class with Aki in her kitchen. You will take the bus from the market to Aki's home for your cooking class. It takes about 10 min, her home is 4 bus stops away from the market.

Notes: Aki's minimum group size is four. However, she is happy to host groups of two or three travelers who are willing to pay the price for a group of four travelers.

Languages spoken: Japanese, English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Chikuzenni
  • Miso soup and rice
  • Karaage
  • Marinated spinach with sesame

Traveler reviews

5.0 (10)
We really enjoyed this memorable culinary experience. The welcome and the cuisine were excellent and our host was very educational.
- Trail476 August 08, 2024
My husband and I had an incredible experience with Aki. Her instructions were clear and we met her right where she suggested. We started our tour at a local covered market street mall. She introduced us to many merchants, who greeted us with a smile. One man, who cured and sold dried bonita, was in a third generation family business of over 70 years. As we perused a contemporary market, Aki explained different pickles, fish, noodles, vegetables, sauces and so much more that are used in daily Japanese cooking. We then took a bus to Aki’s lovely home in a quiet neighborhood. We instantly felt welcomed. The table was set, sauces and stock were marinating and recipes were available to us to begin making the dishes. Aki emailed us our meal preferenes so we had an idea of what we were making. We chopped garlic, ginger, carrots, mushrooms and various Japanese root vegetables, made miso soup, fish broth, Waygu beef, vegetable salad, mainated chicken wings, eggplant and more. Aki’s English was very good, we had excellent communication. By the end of the meal we were full, happy and grateful for this incredible opportunity. We highly recommend Aki for a wonderful Japanese dining expereince.
- Katie F March 12, 2024
Aki was phenomenal, she spoke great English, helped us make so much food with tons of leftovers, and spoke great English. Highly recommend.
- OZZIE_P January 16, 2024
This was one of the best experiences we had during our three month trip to Japan. Aki is lovely, heartwarming person and cooking with her in her beautiful home was an wholesome experience. Thank you for taking good care of us. Your warm presence is something our daughter still remembers ❤️
- Helena June 23, 2023
Wonderful experience! This class was the highlight of our trip. Our family of five (all adults) attended this cooking class together. We did the market tour + cooking class. The whole experience took about four hours. We made variety of delicious dishes and all left full and satisfied. Aki was a delightful host. Looking forward to making these dishes again!
- 538ryan May 10, 2023
We met Aki at her local shops and she took us around the market and supermarket pointing out ingredients we may not have known. The shopkeepers were so friendly and joined in with the experience. We than went to Aki's home where we made a delicious dinner and sat together to eat it. Aki had taken great care as we had a coeliac and someone allergic to pink shellfish in our group. Aki's English was very good and she is a lovely warm and welcoming person. We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.
- 749carolinew September 26, 2019
We met Aki at her local shops and she took us around the market and supermarket pointing out ingredients we may not have known. The shopkeepers were so friendly and joined in with the experience. We than went to Akis home where we made a delicious dinner and sat together to eat it. Aki had taken great care as we had a coeliac and someone allergic to pink shellfish in our group. Akis English was very good and she is a lovely warm and welcoming person. We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.
- 749carolinew September 19, 2019
This class was very educational, personal, and fun. We went to the market with the chef and learned about Japanese food (culturally and ways to prepare dishes). She asked us our preferences for tastes in food and based our cooking experience upon what looked good and in season at the market. We went to her house (which felt very welcoming and hospitable). We learned how to cook lots of different Japanese dishes. We really enjoyed the chef's company. ATTENTION: Be sure you bring money for the bus during the transfer from the market to the chef's home.
- Angelo C June 18, 2019
I visited Aki in her beautiful house in Kyoto for a private cooking experience. Aki makes you fell at home right away and I enjoyed the evening so much. It felt like an evening together with friends. Futhermore Aki is a great cook and an excellent teacher and the food we cooked was so delicious. Not just Japanese food you know from the restaurants, but real Japanese home cooking, that I definitely will make again at home. I had a wonderful evening and an autentic experience and will certainly recommend it.
- jesperstensballe April 19, 2019
My best cooking class, one of my best experience in Japan!! Aki is a passioned cook with a lot of heart, she explains very well in an excellent English. Her place is amazing: traditional Japanese house with a beautiful garden in the very heart of Kyoto. The open kitchen on the living-room was easy to use and very convenient for all of us.We bought seasonal vegetables and fishes at the market and wee cooked dishes far from all the cliché we have on Japanese food, so interesting...We could met really nice people and share this moment together, thanks again for this unforgettable moment!!
- narhai October 23, 2018
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Aki

$86-$118 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $86
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $118 $118
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $86
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $118 $118
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:30am-2:30pm

Meet Aki

Aki's love for cooking began as a young girl watching and helping her mother in the kitchen put together meals for the family. She especially enjoyed learning the recipes that her mother inherited from her grandmother that had been passed down through many generations in her family. Cooking is her deepest passion and the feeling of happiness she gets when sitting down and eating good food with loved ones is one she always craves. Aki is a shining example of Japanese hospitality. She embraces omotenashi, a deeply caring and attentive sense of hospitality that you will immediately experience when you meet her in the peaceful atmosphere of her home and notice in the attention to detail in her cooking. An avid traveler, Aki spent many years on the island of Okinawa and in East Asia where she learned the art of textiles and colors from local craftspeople. She is eager to share the beautiful culture of her own country with travelers to make them fall in love with Japanese food and hospitality.

What to expect

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: (4-6 guests) Your dining experience with Aki will begin with a warm welcome into her home. Sip on a cup of refreshing cold or hot tea depending on the season, that is sourced locally in Kyoto. You will then sit down around the dining table and enjoy a meal cooked with fresh and unique seasonal vegetables and local ingredients. Your home-style Japanese meal may include dishes such as the traditional Chikuzenni (a main dish of braised chicken and vegetables that originated from Kyushu), seasonal vegetable sides such as marinated spinach with sesame or burdock root, and miso soup. You will conclude your meal with a glass of tea.

Cooking experience: (4-6 guests) Join Aki for a hands-on cooking experience in her beautiful kitchen where you will discover how to make dishes that may not be served in restaurants as well as secret tips for familiar classics like miso soup. She will provide you with recipes in English and then guide you through the cooking process. Learn about Japanese food and culture as you cook with Aki. The cooking portion of your experience should last about an hour before you enjoy the meal you helped prepare together.

Market visit: (4-6 guests) Explore with Aki the local neighborhood street market called Demachiyanagi Shoutengai and discover everything from basic Japanese foods ingredients to high-quality, regional produce. You will spend about 45 minutes walking through the market together and picking out a few vegetables and ingredients that you will later use in your authentic Japanese cooking class with Aki in her kitchen. You will take the bus from the market to Aki's home for your cooking class. It takes about 10 min, her home is 4 bus stops away from the market.

Notes: Aki's minimum group size is four. However, she is happy to host groups of two or three travelers who are willing to pay the price for a group of four travelers.

Languages spoken: Japanese, English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Chikuzenni
  • Miso soup and rice
  • Karaage
  • Marinated spinach with sesame

Traveler reviews

5.0 (10)
We really enjoyed this memorable culinary experience. The welcome and the cuisine were excellent and our host was very educational.
- Trail476 August 08, 2024
My husband and I had an incredible experience with Aki. Her instructions were clear and we met her right where she suggested. We started our tour at a local covered market street mall. She introduced us to many merchants, who greeted us with a smile. One man, who cured and sold dried bonita, was in a third generation family business of over 70 years. As we perused a contemporary market, Aki explained different pickles, fish, noodles, vegetables, sauces and so much more that are used in daily Japanese cooking. We then took a bus to Aki’s lovely home in a quiet neighborhood. We instantly felt welcomed. The table was set, sauces and stock were marinating and recipes were available to us to begin making the dishes. Aki emailed us our meal preferenes so we had an idea of what we were making. We chopped garlic, ginger, carrots, mushrooms and various Japanese root vegetables, made miso soup, fish broth, Waygu beef, vegetable salad, mainated chicken wings, eggplant and more. Aki’s English was very good, we had excellent communication. By the end of the meal we were full, happy and grateful for this incredible opportunity. We highly recommend Aki for a wonderful Japanese dining expereince.
- Katie F March 12, 2024
Aki was phenomenal, she spoke great English, helped us make so much food with tons of leftovers, and spoke great English. Highly recommend.
- OZZIE_P January 16, 2024
This was one of the best experiences we had during our three month trip to Japan. Aki is lovely, heartwarming person and cooking with her in her beautiful home was an wholesome experience. Thank you for taking good care of us. Your warm presence is something our daughter still remembers ❤️
- Helena June 23, 2023
Wonderful experience! This class was the highlight of our trip. Our family of five (all adults) attended this cooking class together. We did the market tour + cooking class. The whole experience took about four hours. We made variety of delicious dishes and all left full and satisfied. Aki was a delightful host. Looking forward to making these dishes again!
- 538ryan May 10, 2023
We met Aki at her local shops and she took us around the market and supermarket pointing out ingredients we may not have known. The shopkeepers were so friendly and joined in with the experience. We than went to Aki's home where we made a delicious dinner and sat together to eat it. Aki had taken great care as we had a coeliac and someone allergic to pink shellfish in our group. Aki's English was very good and she is a lovely warm and welcoming person. We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.
- 749carolinew September 26, 2019
We met Aki at her local shops and she took us around the market and supermarket pointing out ingredients we may not have known. The shopkeepers were so friendly and joined in with the experience. We than went to Akis home where we made a delicious dinner and sat together to eat it. Aki had taken great care as we had a coeliac and someone allergic to pink shellfish in our group. Akis English was very good and she is a lovely warm and welcoming person. We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.
- 749carolinew September 19, 2019
This class was very educational, personal, and fun. We went to the market with the chef and learned about Japanese food (culturally and ways to prepare dishes). She asked us our preferences for tastes in food and based our cooking experience upon what looked good and in season at the market. We went to her house (which felt very welcoming and hospitable). We learned how to cook lots of different Japanese dishes. We really enjoyed the chef's company. ATTENTION: Be sure you bring money for the bus during the transfer from the market to the chef's home.
- Angelo C June 18, 2019
I visited Aki in her beautiful house in Kyoto for a private cooking experience. Aki makes you fell at home right away and I enjoyed the evening so much. It felt like an evening together with friends. Futhermore Aki is a great cook and an excellent teacher and the food we cooked was so delicious. Not just Japanese food you know from the restaurants, but real Japanese home cooking, that I definitely will make again at home. I had a wonderful evening and an autentic experience and will certainly recommend it.
- jesperstensballe April 19, 2019
My best cooking class, one of my best experience in Japan!! Aki is a passioned cook with a lot of heart, she explains very well in an excellent English. Her place is amazing: traditional Japanese house with a beautiful garden in the very heart of Kyoto. The open kitchen on the living-room was easy to use and very convenient for all of us.We bought seasonal vegetables and fishes at the market and wee cooked dishes far from all the cliché we have on Japanese food, so interesting...We could met really nice people and share this moment together, thanks again for this unforgettable moment!!
- narhai October 23, 2018
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $86
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $118 $118
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $86
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $118 $118
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:30am-2:30pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

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FAQ

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