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, and soufflé pancakes, choose the dishes that excite you and enjoy making them together.
[Menu Selections]
✅ Meat Dishes: Yakitori, Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken), Ginger Pork, Tonkatsu (Breaded Pork Cutlet)
✅ Fish Dishes: Teriyaki Yellowtail, Miso-Braised Mackerel
✅ Rice Dishes: Tuna-Chirashi Sushi, Japanese-Style Curry Rice, Japanese Omelet, Oyakodon (Chicken & Egg Rice Bowl)
✅ Japanese Favorites: Tantanmen (Sesame Ramen), Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings), Tempura, Okonomiyaki (Savory Japanese Pancake)
✅ Side Dishes: Onigiri (Rice Balls), Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelet)
✅ Desserts: Fruit Daifuku (Mochi), Soufflé Pancakes, Goma-dofu (Sesame Tofu)
[Menu & Dietary Notes]
Our standard menu has been carefully selected with the tastes and preferences of our international guests in mind. Please choose your favorite dishes from the [Menu Selections].
If you would like a dish that is not on the standard menu, or if you have any food allergies, please contact us before booking to confirm what we can accommodate.
Many dishes on the [Menu Selections] can be adapted for vegetarians, so please discuss your preferences with your host on the day.
Ramen is a noodle soup dish and perhaps one of the most popular Japanese dishes. There are many flavours of ramen, such as Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, Miso ramen, Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen and so on. Common toppings are Chashu (braised pork), Negi (green onion) and Nori (dried seaweed).
Gyoza is a dumpling using wrapping thing dough to hold the inner ingredients. Most commonly, minced pork, cabbage, Garlic and Leek. The origin of Gyoza is from China but it has evolved uniquely in Japan and now quite different from the Chinese one.
Tempura (天ぷら) is a classical Portuguese dish brought to and popularized by Japan, consisting of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. Tempura is a typical home-style cooking in Japan. It is often referred to as a representative dish to Japan. Although there are various theories, it is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the general of the Edo period, liked tempura so much that he allegedly died from eating too much.
Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake, made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, meat and toppings as you like. This variability is reflected in the dish's name: "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking". You can eat it everywhere in Japan, but especially Okonomiyaki made Hiroshima style and Osaka style are the most famous.
Onigiri is a Japanese comfort food made from steamed rice formed into the typical triangular, ball, or cylinder shapes and usually wrapped with nori(dried seaweed). Stuffed with a a variety of fillings and flavors, these rice balls make an ideal quick snack and are a fun alternative to sandwitches for lunch.
Japanese fried chicken, karaage is made by marinating bite-size pieces of chicken in sake, soy sauce, ginger and garlic before coating them generously with potato starch. When fried, the starch turns into an ultra crispy shell encasing a flavorful juicy bite of chicken. Absolutely great with beer.
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.
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, and soufflé pancakes, choose the dishes that excite you and enjoy making them together.
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.
We meet at a local station to walk through a quiet residential neighborhood far from the tourist crowds. The magic starts at the market! We explore a local grocery store together, teaching you how to read Japanese labels and shop with the wisdom of a local household.
2. Hands-on Culinary Masterclass (90 min) In our home kitchen, you will learn to cook the city’s favorite "Comfort Foods" from scratch. These are the soul-warming meals we actually eat at home, not restaurant recipes. Example Menu: A. Signature Tuna Chirashi-Sushi: Craft your own beautiful "scattered sushi" bowl, a vibrant Japanese classic. It is a special dish traditionally enjoyed at home parties and celebrations in Japan. (Options: Vege-Chirashi-Sushi or Hand-formed Onigiri) B. Authentic Home-Style Yakitori: Master the secrets of glazing and grilling succulent skewers with our signature Japanese sweet-savory sauce. (Options: Japanese Fried Chicken, Oyakodon or crispy Vege-Tempura) C. Japanese-Style Tantanmen: Enjoy a gentle, Japanese twist on the classic Dan Dan Noodles—warm, satisfying, and easy to recreate in your own kitchen. (Options: Japanese-Style Pan-Fried Gyoza, Vege-Tantanmen or Vege-Gyoza) D. Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes: Discover the secret to making these pillowy, light-as-air pancakes that melt in your mouth. (Options: traditional Mochi sweets) [Important: Customization & Dietary Needs] We love tailoring our menu to make your experience perfect. If you would like to select an alternative menu from our options, or if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please let us know at least one day in advance. We are happy to accommodate these requests if your booking is private (for one group) or if all guests participating in the session reach a consensus. We look forward to welcoming you into our home!
Enjoy your handmade feast together while engaging in deep conversations about real life in the world's busiest city.
To wrap up, we’ll share a special cultural moment together. Depending on your host’s expertise, you may enjoy activities such as Origami, trying on a Kimono (or Yukata), Calligraphy, or a traditional Matcha tea experience.
Daytours
Member of beautifuldaytours.
-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.
The closest station
Hikawadai station
How to get to the station?
From Ikebukuro station : 10mins
Free pick up service
This host can pick up you for free from the closest station!
Exact location provided after booking.
Up to 4 people can join Daytours's cooking class.
It costs 8000 per person.
Yes, Short Homestay: Shop, Choose & Cook from 20 Japanese Dishes has a vegetarian option.
Yes, Short Homestay: Shop, Choose & Cook from 20 Japanese Dishes has a vegan option.
Duration of this cooking class is 3.5 hours.
Please go to Hikawadai station which takes 10 mins from Ikebukuro station . Then Daytours (host) will pick you up there!
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.
