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VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Masako

Tokyo, Japan

USD
$70 per person

Japanese or Chinese home cooking demonstration in central Tokyo

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

Meet Masako

Masako learned to cook from her mother and has been cooking Japanese cuisine for several decades. She also learned Chinese cooking from a neighbor who lived in Beijing and has been teaching local Japanese how to cook Chinese cuisine for over 30 years! Masako is excited to share her passion for food and cooking with travelers visiting Tokyo.

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.

Cooking experience: (2-4 guests) Your cooking demonstration takes place in a spacious apartment centrally located in Takatanobaba in the Shinjuku district. Masako is excited to share her knowledge of Japanese home cooking and teach you some of her favorite recipes.

Join Masako in her kitchen and watch as she cooks a traditional Japanese meal. Masako can also teach you how to make a Chinese home cooked meal so if you prefer a Chinese cooking demo, please include your preference in your booking form. This will be a cooking demonstration where you watch Masako cook Japanese dishes using seasonal and traditional ingredients. Learn about Japan and Masako's life as she cooks three dishes from scratch. Learn to make dishes such as chirashi sushi (sushi rice with seafood and vegetables) or gyoza (dumplings), miso soup or hot and sour soup, and omurice or a colorful fried rice. The cooking portion of your experience will last about one hour after which you will sit down at the dining table to share the meal with Masako. Your meal concludes with sesame ice cream for dessert.

Notes: Like many Japanese people, Masako speaks limited English. She will arrange to have a friend join your experience to help with translation.

Languages spoken: English, Japanese

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.
  • Gyoza (pork/vegetable)
  • Steamed egg soup with prawn
  • Stir fried seasonal vegetable
  • Seasonal side dish
  • Dessert
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Masako-san was very friendly and cheerful. For traveler’s visiting her home, they’ll have the opportunity to experience first-hand Japanese hospitality and great home-made food in a cozy and relaxed environment. You can feel the warmth of the home-cooked Japanese meal which you won't usually taste in restaurants in Japan. Expect an English translator since Masako-san speaks limited English. The dishes served were delicious! The home-made gyoza and peanut ice cream (vanilla ice cream mixed with sesame dressing) were my favorite. The food was great, but my favorite part would be the conversation and the sharing of cultures while eating.

Camille, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

This is a new host who does not yet have any reviews. You can see reviews of our other Tokyo Traveling Spoon experiences on TripAdvisor:
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Masako

$70 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 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 Not offered
Alcohol
 $8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 Not offered
Alcohol
 $8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 12:00pm-3:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm

Meet Masako

Masako learned to cook from her mother and has been cooking Japanese cuisine for several decades. She also learned Chinese cooking from a neighbor who lived in Beijing and has been teaching local Japanese how to cook Chinese cuisine for over 30 years! Masako is excited to share her passion for food and cooking with travelers visiting Tokyo.

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.

Cooking experience: (2-4 guests) Your cooking demonstration takes place in a spacious apartment centrally located in Takatanobaba in the Shinjuku district. Masako is excited to share her knowledge of Japanese home cooking and teach you some of her favorite recipes.

Join Masako in her kitchen and watch as she cooks a traditional Japanese meal. Masako can also teach you how to make a Chinese home cooked meal so if you prefer a Chinese cooking demo, please include your preference in your booking form. This will be a cooking demonstration where you watch Masako cook Japanese dishes using seasonal and traditional ingredients. Learn about Japan and Masako's life as she cooks three dishes from scratch. Learn to make dishes such as chirashi sushi (sushi rice with seafood and vegetables) or gyoza (dumplings), miso soup or hot and sour soup, and omurice or a colorful fried rice. The cooking portion of your experience will last about one hour after which you will sit down at the dining table to share the meal with Masako. Your meal concludes with sesame ice cream for dessert.

Notes: Like many Japanese people, Masako speaks limited English. She will arrange to have a friend join your experience to help with translation.

Languages spoken: English, Japanese

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.
  • Gyoza (pork/vegetable)
  • Steamed egg soup with prawn
  • Stir fried seasonal vegetable
  • Seasonal side dish
  • Dessert
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Masako-san was very friendly and cheerful. For traveler’s visiting her home, they’ll have the opportunity to experience first-hand Japanese hospitality and great home-made food in a cozy and relaxed environment. You can feel the warmth of the home-cooked Japanese meal which you won't usually taste in restaurants in Japan. Expect an English translator since Masako-san speaks limited English. The dishes served were delicious! The home-made gyoza and peanut ice cream (vanilla ice cream mixed with sesame dressing) were my favorite. The food was great, but my favorite part would be the conversation and the sharing of cultures while eating.

Camille, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

This is a new host who does not yet have any reviews. You can see reviews of our other Tokyo Traveling Spoon experiences on TripAdvisor:
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 Not offered
Alcohol
 $8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $70 Not offered
Alcohol
 $8 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 12:00pm-3:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.