Japanese culture

Gourmet

Tokyo

great for couple

great for family

Short Homestay: Cook & Enjoy Japanese Comfort Food

Experience Everyday Japan Through a Short Homestay
Step inside a real Tokyo home and experience Japan from the inside.
We believe some of the most memorable travel experiences happen not at famous landmarks, but around a kitchen table with local people.
Our Short Homestay invites you into a real Japanese home for about 3.5 hours. Together with your host, you'll explore a local neighborhood, shop at a Japanese supermarket, choose the comfort foods you'd like to make, cook together, and sit down to enjoy the meal you've prepared.
Along the way, you'll have time to relax, chat, ask questions, and discover the everyday customs, food, and lifestyle of Japan.

A Glimpse Into Real Tokyo Life
Your host's home is a place where they actually live, cook, and spend their everyday life.
Every home is different. You may visit a compact Tokyo apartment or a typical Japanese house in a residential neighborhood. You'll see the practical, space-saving kitchens and living spaces that are part of everyday urban life in Japan.
This is your chance to experience the side of Tokyo that most visitors never see—not as a spectator, but as a guest in a Japanese home.

The 4-Step Journey
1. Local Stroll & Supermarket Safari (30 min)
Meet at a local station and stroll through a quiet residential neighborhood. Your Short Homestay begins at the market, where we explore a local grocery store together and discover the fresh ingredients—from seafood and meat to vegetables, fruits, and seasonings—that shape everyday Japanese cooking.

2. Choose Your Dishes & Cook Together (90 min)
Step into our home kitchen and cook Japanese comfort foods together with your host. Unlike a typical cooking class, you get to choose what you want to make from a curated selection of about 20 popular Japanese dishes.
As you cook, discover how Japanese families make the most of compact home kitchens, using clever space-saving tools and everyday cooking techniques.
From Chirashi sushi and gyoza to yakitori, Karaage, Tonjiru, and soufflé pancakes, choose the dishes that excite you and enjoy making them together.

[Menu Selections]
✅Rice Dishes: Tuna-Chirashi-Sushi, Omelet Rice, Oyakodon, Onigiri
✅Wheat Dishes: Tantanmen-Noodle, Dipping Ramen-Noodles, Gyoza, Egg Sandwich
✅Meat Dishes: Yakitori, Karaage, Pork Roll (Miso), Ginger Pork, Nikujaga, Tonjiru
✅Fish Dishes: Teriyaki Yellowtail, Miso-Braised Mackerel
✅Vegetarian: Tempura, Konjac Steak
✅Sweets: Soufflé Pancakes, Fruit Daifuku

[Customization & Flexibility]
While we feature these options, we are happy to accommodate other requests whenever possible. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions or allergies at least one day in advance. Most items can be adapted for vegetarians. If you are joining as part of a multi-group session, please select 1 or 2 of your favorite dishes.

3. Share a Homemade Meal & Discover Everyday Japan (60 min)
Sit down with your host and enjoy the homemade meal you prepared together. This is more than simply sharing food—you’ll have the chance to experience the warmth of a Japanese home and discover what everyday life in Tokyo is really like.
Ask us anything you’re curious about, from Japanese food and dining customs to everyday habits, traditions, and cultural quirks. Relax, chat, and enjoy the meal together like a guest in a Japanese home.

4. A Final Japanese Cultural Moment (30 min)
To wrap up your Short Homestay, share one more special moment with your host through a traditional Japanese cultural activity. Depending on your host, you may try origami, Japanese calligraphy, wear a kimono or yukata, or enjoy a traditional Matcha tea experience.

Duration: About 3.5 hours
Location, Instructor: <Location>
Our hosts live in authentic residential neighborhoods around Tokyo, typically 10–30 minutes from the city center. Away from the main tourist areas, these are the kind of neighborhoods where local Tokyo residents live, shop, and enjoy everyday life.
A few days before your experience, we’ll introduce you to your specific host and provide the exact meeting location and all the details you need.

<Meet Your Hosts>
Every Short Homestay is different because every host is different.
Our hosts are not professional tour guides or cooking-school instructors. They are local people who open their homes and share a little of their everyday lives with you.
Depending on your host, you may discover a different side of Japan—from traditional home cooking and temple life to modern Tokyo living, organic food, or a quiet neighborhood outside the city center.
You are not simply taking a cooking class. You are being welcomed into a Japanese home.

-Ms. Kaoli
Japanese Home Cooking & Food Culture
With more than 25 years of experience as a professional editor and PR producer, Kaoli is also a certified cooking instructor and an award-winning recipe creator.
In her home in Shibuya, she enjoys sharing the wisdom of Japanese home cooking—from everyday favorites such as karaage and tamagoyaki to regional specialties such as Iwakuni-zushi and Shinoda-maki.
With Kaoli, food is more than something to eat. As you cook and chat together, you can discover the stories, traditions, and everyday life behind Japanese cuisine.

-Ms. Ayaka
Modern Tokyo Life & Home Cooking
Ayaka has worked as an English news writer and translator for NHK World and The Asahi Shimbun, sharing stories about Japan with audiences around the world.
As a busy Tokyo professional, she enjoys preparing practical, healthy home-cooked meals without spending all day in the kitchen.
Join Ayaka in her home to shop, cook, eat, and chat. Along the way, discover what everyday life is really like for a modern Tokyoite.

-Ms. Michiko
Organic Food & Seaside Living
Michiko is a certified Japanese organic food sommelier with more than 20 years of experience hosting cultural events.
In her cozy seaside home in Kanagawa, she enjoys sharing her passion for healthy, local food and a relaxed Japanese lifestyle.
With Michiko, you can discover a different side of Japan—one that is closer to nature and away from the busy city.

-Ms. Yuri
Temple Life & Shojin Ryori
Yuri lives with her family in a historic temple in Tokyo's Taito district.
Alongside home cooking, she can introduce you to Shojin Ryori, the traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine associated with Japanese temple life.
Depending on your experience, you may also enjoy a mindful Matcha moment and discover her family's temple.
With Yuri, a simple meal can become a window into a very different side of Japanese life.

-Ms. Cindy
Everyday Life in a Tokyo Suburb
After a career with major Japanese corporations, Cindy now enjoys everyday life in a typical modern home in Kawaguchi—with her cat.
Join her for a glimpse of ordinary neighborhood life, from a stroll to meet local community cats to cooking at home or discovering one of her favorite local restaurants.
With Cindy, you can experience the side of Japan that most tourists never see—the Japan where people actually live, work, shop, eat, and spend their everyday lives.
What's Included: ✓ Host & Experience Fee
✓ Ingredients & Homemade Meal
✓ Japanese Cultural Activity
✓ All Taxes Included
Not Included: -
What to bring: -
Notes: ✓ Dietary Needs & Requests
If you have any food allergies or dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or gluten-free, please let us know before booking.
If there is a particular Japanese dish you would especially like to cook and enjoy, you are also welcome to let us know. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences, depending on your host and the menu available.

✓ A Real Japanese Home
Your Short Homestay takes place in your host's actual home—a cozy, lived-in Japanese home where they cook and enjoy everyday life.
Every home is different. Some may be a compact Tokyo apartment, while others may be a house in a residential neighborhood.
This is part of what makes the experience special: rather than visiting a place designed for tourists, you are being welcomed into a real Japanese home and sharing everyday life with a local host.

✓ Please Arrive on Time
Your experience begins with a visit to a local supermarket, so the group leaves the meeting point promptly at the scheduled start time.
Please arrive a few minutes early. Late arrivals may not be able to join the experience after the group has departed, and refunds cannot be provided for late arrivals.

Reviews

Mies 2026/8

Dit was een hele leuke ervaring! De host was erg vriendelijk en vertelde veel over de Japanse cultuur en het eten. Ook leuk om bij iemand thuis te koken om te zien hoe het leven hier is. We zouden het zeker aanbevelen!

Ragnet 2026/8

Tres belle rencontre avec ayaka, qui nous a ouvert les portes de son appartement pour cuisiner ensemble des plats délicieux et faciles à reproduire lorsque nous serons de retour chez nous. Ayaka est charmante et elle parle super bien anglais, elle a pu nous expliquer aussi comment se mangent les différents plats. Nous avons choisi de faire des onigiri, du poisson teriyaki, des pork rolls à la sauce miso, des ramens froids et des mochi aux fruits délicieux ! Nous etions tous les 3 enchantés. (couple et notre fils de 23 ans) Un grand merci à Ayaka pour cette expérience authentique !

Dohun 2026/8

I was so happy to learn how to make the exact traditional Japanese dishes I’ve always wanted to try. Visiting her home and going grocery shopping together at the local market felt so much more special and meaningful than just going to a restaurant or a standard cooking studio. She was incredibly kind, spoke fluent English, and had such a warm smile that made me feel genuinely happy the entire time. And above all, the food was absolutely delicious—honestly, maybe even better than what you’d get at a restaurant!

Alexis 2026/8

Ms Aya was amazing and did a fantastic job!

Lior 2026/8

Wow such an amazing experience.
The host was so nice and friendly, we made together 4 dishes that were delicious. Recommended !
Thank you❤️🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

Zoë 2026/7

Ayaka is a wonderful host and I am looking forward to preparing the dishes I learned once I have returned home. I was the only participant but never felt uncomfortable - on the contrary: I had a great time!

Aurelie 2026/7

Super expérience! Un très joli moment de convivialité et Ayaka est une hôte extraordinaire. Elle est merveilleuse !

Milly 2026/7

Ayaka was a lovely and knowledgeable teacher! It was a pleasure to learn from her.

zoe 2026/7

Ayaka is a wonderful host and I am looking forward to preparing the dishes I learned once I have returned home.
I was the only participant but never felt uncomfortable - on the contrary:
I had a great time!

Karl 2026/6

Ayaka was amazing!! Such great hospitality and such a friendly attitude the whole time. She walked me through every single step and even went and bought all the ingredients fresh herself, which I really appreciated. Only issue was GetYourGuide sent me the wrong address so that part was a bit stressful, but that wasn't Ayaka's fault at all. Once I got there everything was perfect. Overall best experience, would 100% recommend Ayaka.

David 2026/6

She was absolutely wonderful!! A great cook, nice person and we really enjoyed our time talking her with.
Probably the most memorable experience during our 5 week trip in Japan.

Lucas 2026/6

Great view into everyday japanese live!!
Ayaka took us shopping for groceries, invited us into her home and prepared a delicious seasonal meal with us, including mochi and matcha as a dessert.

Alli 2026/5

A wonderful cooking class with Ayaka - we visited the grocery store and her home and she taught us much about Japanese ingredients. We ate a very delicious meal!

Christopher 2026/4

I loved it! Ayaka was very nice.

Luminita 2026/4

this was one of the best experiences I had on my trip to Japan.
Ayaka was such a lovely host.
I was soo lucky to be the only one that booked the tour at that time so we had a lovely one on one session of cooking delicious comfort food and talking like old friends.
I learned a lot about Japanese home cooking that day.
we finished with a cup of matcha and probably the best mochi I have ever had.
strongly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Tokyo who wants a touch of authenticity to top up their trip.

Barrett 2026/4

Best Cooking Course I had been to in Tokyo.
Not impractical sushi or ramen making, this was practical every day meals and skills you can take home and use every day.
Learned so much about daily Japanese life and culture.
Ayaka host was the best!
The mochi was life changing.

Pierpaolo 2023/5

Nice experience of tasting Japanese cuisine and Matcha!

Samuele 2023/4

My friends and I really enjoyed spending time with Nobuko! She speaks perfect English and she is a really nice and caring person, but what really amazed us was her food! We had fun making lunch with her and then we ate the most delicious fish ever!!! Overall, a great experience, Nobuko is fantastic!

José Manuel 2023/4

I booked this experience hoping to meet a local and get an authentic culinary experience, and that’s exactly what I received!! Nobuko, my host, picked me up from the train station and took me on a nice stroll through town under the Sakura blossoms. Her English is great and we were able to communicate perfectly. The meal we prepared was delicious and I’ll never forget the time I was able to share with Nobuko!

Blake 2023/3

My home stay with Nobuko was amazing. We had a great time chatting about our lives while we prepared a lovely miso salmon meal at her home. If you are like me and love to see how locals live outside the tourist zones, this is the perfect experience.

Alex 2019/12

Really enjoyed this experience - the cooking was simple enough that much of it could be replicated at home (which I certainly plan to do!), but the context provided throughout the process is what really made it special. It's in a beautiful location, slightly off the beaten path, but an easy walk from the subway station. The hosts couldn't have been kinder, and the temple was stunning. Highly recommend.

Jill 2019/12

It’s a really spiritual experiences.
We cook with Yuuri in a small neighborhood temple. Yuuri not only show my their religion and culture but also their living style. And Michiko, she traveled more than one hour to do translation for us. Really appreciate their efforts. Nice experiences :)