⸻
1. Chicken Teriyaki
A classic Japanese home-style dish made with tender chicken cooked in a sweet and savory soy-based sauce. It’s easy to recreate at home and pairs perfectly with rice.
⸻
2. Shio-koji Marinated Grilled Fish
Fresh fish marinated in shio-koji, a traditional Japanese seasoning that makes the fish naturally tender and flavorful. Simple, healthy, and perfect for everyday meals.
⸻
3. Miso Soup with Lots of Vegetables
A comforting miso soup filled with seasonal vegetables. This version is more hearty than the typical restaurant style and shows the warmth of Japanese home cooking.
⸻
4. Clay Pot Rice (Donabe Daki Gohan)
Rice cooked in a clay pot, giving it a deep aroma and a soft, rustic flavor. A traditional Japanese comfort dish that guests love to take home as a recipe.
Rice is a staple food in Japan. In all most every family, there is a rice cooker. There is variety of Japanese rice brands such as Koshihikari and Hitomebore.
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup. It's base is "dashi" (Japanese fish stock) and Miso paste. Common added ingredients are Tofu, Green onion and deep‐fried tofu but differs by personal preference. The type of miso is different from region. In western and Easter Japan white miso is mostly used.
In this cooking class, we will make simple and delicious Japanese home-style dishes together. The menu changes with the season, but we often cook favorites such as teriyaki chicken, hearty miso soup, and shio-koji grilled fish. All recipes use basic ingredients, so you can easily make them again after returning home.
This class is especially enjoyable for Japan fans and anime lovers. While cooking, I also share stories about everyday Japanese life, culture, food traditions, and how these dishes appear in Japanese homes. Many guests say the cultural talk is one of the highlights of the class.
We start by preparing the ingredients and learning simple techniques that bring out gentle Japanese flavors. My English is easy to understand, thanks to my time studying in the U.S. and living abroad, so it’s comfortable to ask questions or chat during the class.
Sometimes I also host anime-inspired cooking events, where we recreate dishes from popular shows.
Classes are small, friendly, and held in Nara or in a rented kitchen around Kansai.
If you want more than cooking—a warm cultural experience that brings you closer to real Japan—I would love to cook and talk with you!
In the ancient capital of Fujiwara-kyō, you’ll discover an experience that will truly speak to your heart. This area, once the center of Japan over 1,300 years ago, still carries a quiet, timeless energy. When you arrive, you may feel as though the past and present are gently overlapping. Our cooking experience takes place inside a 190-year-old kominka — a traditional Japanese farmhouse that has watched the seasons change for nearly two centuries. The wooden beams, earthen walls, and soft natural light create a space where time slows down, inviting you to breathe deeply and simply be. For travelers who love Japanese culture, history, and authenticity, this place will resonate deeply. It is not just a building; it’s a doorway into the spirit of old Japan — a feeling you cannot get from modern cities or museums alone. Here in Fujiwara-kyō, the kominka experience will become a memory that stays with you long after your trip ends.
The special highlight of this experience is cooking your own rice from start to finish. As you wash the grains, take a moment to clear your mind — polishing the rice is also polishing the heart.
This dish uses a simple technique: lightly coating the fish with shio-kōji and letting it rest for a few hours. Even this small step creates a big change — the fish becomes tender, deeply flavorful, and wonderfully fragrant. You’ll be amazed at how something so easy can result in such a rich, umami-packed grilled fish.
Unlike marinated styles, this teriyaki is made by cooking the chicken and the sauce together in the pan. The sauce — made with real Japanese soy sauce, mirin, and a touch of sweetness — turns into a glossy glaze that gives the dish its signature shine. What’s surprising is how this rich, full-bodied sauce still keeps the chicken tasting light and easy to enjoy. It’s a wonderful balance — deep flavor and satisfying umami, yet never heavy — that makes real Japanese teriyaki so special.
This hearty miso soup is filled with a variety of winter vegetables, offering both warmth and nourishment. We create this dish especially for the winter solstice, when yuzu is traditionally enjoyed in Japan for its refreshing aroma and seasonal meaning. A touch of fresh yuzu peel added at the end gives the soup a gentle citrus lift without overwhelming the miso. It’s a simple yet elegant bowl — comforting, fragrant, and deeply connected to the spirit of the winter solstice.
Mariko
Hi! I host small and friendly Japanese cooking classes in Nara, and sometimes in other rented kitchens around Kansai.
I speak clear, simple English—thanks to my study abroad experience in the U.S.—and I’ve also lived in India, so I enjoy teaching people from many cultures.
My classes focus on easy Japanese home cooking that you can make again when you return home: onigiri, miso soup, shio-koji dishes, seasonal sides, and sometimes fun anime-inspired recipes for special events.
I love showing how simple ingredients and everyday cooking can connect you to Japanese culture.
If you want a cozy, unique experience and recipes you can truly recreate back home, I’d love to cook with you!
The closest station
Miminashi（耳成）station
How to get to the station?
From Yamato Yagi: 5mins
Exact location provided after booking.
It costs 6000 per person.
Up to 4 people can join Mariko's cooking class.
Duration of this cooking class is 4 hours.
You will receive the confirmation within 24 hours.
We accepts these cards on airKitchen.
Cancellations up to 48 hours prior to the class begins will be fully refunded by the airKitchen cancellation policy.
