・Udon noodles
Udon is thick white noodles made from wheat flour. We make Udon dough by stepping on it with our feet. Musashino Udon is famous for being foot-kneaded. Join our class to experience this unique Udon making.
・Dashi-based pork soup
You will also experience how to make the pork soup often served with the Udon in the Musashino area. You learn about Japanese Dashi stock and Umami. We dip the noodles in the pork soup when eating.
・Matcha and traditional sweets (Wagashi)
After enjoying the fantastic Udon meal, you will get to taste Japanese sweets (Wagashi) and experience a simple Matcha tea ceremony.
Udon (うどん) is a type of thick wheat flour noodle. It is similar to Italian pasta, but much thicker. It has been eaten all over Japan as an easy-to-eat popular meal, and a substitute meal for rice dishes. Udon is often served hot as a noodle soup in its simplest form, as "kake udon", in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru, which is made of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. The flavor of broth and topping vary from region to region.
The Japanese tea ceremony is a centuries-old tradition closely tied to Zen Buddhist principles, and a popular way to experience Japanese culture. There are several variations on this ritual. At its base, powdered green tea (matcha) is prepared and served in accordance with strict rules. Oftentimes, wagashi (Japanese sweets) is served alongside the bitter green tea.
You will learn how to make a delicious Japanese noodle dish ”Musashino Udon”at the host's home.
Musashino area, which covers the west of Tokyo, is full of nature and green spaces. Wheat farming was historically prevalent around this area, and the Udon noodles have been made locally for about four centuries.
The Udon is interestingly foot-kneaded. It would be a great opportunity for you to experience this style of Udon making.
We make udon using special udon-making utensils: a large wooden kneading board, a long rolling pin, and a large bowl for making the noodles. Each guest will get to make their own udon.
First, we will make udon dough with wheat flour and salt water. After that we will step on the udon dough with our feet. It will be a very fun and exciting time.
While the dough is resting, we will make the pork soup from authentic Japanese Bonito-flakes (katsuobushi) and kombu Dashi.
We will use a special udon knife to cut the dough into noodles. I will teach you how to make traditional Musashino udon.
After having the Udon meal, you will experience a casual Japanese tea ceremony. You can spend a relaxing time savoring Japanese Matcha and traditional sweets. It will surely be an unforgettable experience for you.
Hello! My name is Izumi. I live in western in Tokyo, called "Musashino" area, which is full of nature. It is said to be a place where Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese animated film director, got inspire for famous films, "My Neighbor Totoro".
I teach Japanese dishes in my house near the forest.
I lived in Virginia, the USA for two years when my kids were small. The elementary school where my son went had so many international students from over 70 countries, and I cooked Japanese food at the school festival. The memories I had there through exchanging cultures and cooking were amazing!
Now I have a qualification for the Japan association of cooking for foreigners, and teach them Japanese cuisine, such as sushi. There are sushi classes as well as Plant-Based cooking classes. In Japan, there are so many ingredients ideal for Plant-Based dishes. You will be surprised how delicious Plant-Based dishes could be.
I also teach how to make Musashino Udon noodles. It is a famous dish around my area. The Udon is interestingly foot- neaded. I’m a member of Musashino Handmade Udon Preserve & Popularize Association. I would like to spread Musashino Udon around the world, hoping that more and more people enjoy foot-kneading the noodles and savor the taste of them.
My Instagram (@izushas_washoku)
The closest station
Higashimurayama Station
How to get to the station?
From Takadanobaba Station: 30mins
Free pick up service
This host can pick up you for free from the closest station!
Exact location provided after booking.
Kyoko Hara, Japan
★★★★★It was a very fun lesson. Our host, Izumi-san, not only taught us how to make udon, but also explained the connection to the Higashimurayama area, and we heard a lot of interesting stories. The handmade udon was delicious and I want to eat it again. I highly recommend this class. うどん作りだけでなく、地域の食文化や名所も教えてもらい大満足のレッスンでした。ホストの泉さん、ありがとうございました。
Sep 2024
Response from Izumi
Kyoko san, thank you for joining my udon cooking class! I was so excited to dance kneading the udon with you all. It was a wonderful memory. Please make delicious udon for your family at home!
Emily, United States of America
★★★★★This cooking class was a highlight of our trip to Japan and the perfect way to start our adventure. Izumi welcomed us into her home and lead us through hands-on udon preparation complete with foot-kneading. Hands and feet! We literally danced on the dough (wrapped in plastic) and went on to prepare a delicious lunch complete with soup and an informal tea ceremony. We highly recommend this authentic cooking experience. Izumi is fluent in English but encouraged our basic attempts at speaking Japanese. The trip by train from our hotel to the station nearest her house was about 90-minutes. It was our second day in the country and we had no idea how to use the train. She guided us through the process via email step-by-step. She not only picked us up at the train station hear her house but also walked into the station office to help us settle up our train ticket bill. Izumi is fun and kind. We feel like we have a friend in Tokyo.
Mar 2024
Response from Izumi
Thank you for coming to my Udon cooking class!
You are so gracious, kind, and humorous. I could have a great time with you. I'm sure you made many memories when you came to Japan for the first time. I'm very happy that one of them was this Udon cooking experience. I will cherish this memory in my heart.
Thank you so much!
Sydney, United States of America
★★★★★What an amazing experience. This will surely be a highlight of our trip that we will be mentioning to everyone that we talk to about traveling to Japan. Izumi pick us up from the station and drove us to her home. She welcomed us in and explain different Japanese customs to us. While eating she showed us places that we could visit - So glad we did this early so we could take her up on her suggestions! She had prepared materials, as well as the recipe we used for us to take home. Highly recommend!
Nov 2023
Response from Izumi
Sydney san
Thank you for coming to my udon cooking class. I heard that this is your first trip to Japan. Japan has many beautiful, interesting, and delicious things. I am very happy that the udon making and matcha ceremony were memorable. Thank you both for your kind personality. You were able to make udon very well! I hope you have a fun and happy journey!
Nahoko, Japan
★★★★★Our cooking experience was perfect!Izumi told the history of Musashino Udon that I didn’t know. When making Udon,she picked nice music and it was like dancing time! The taste of handmade Udon was unforgettable.Tea ceremony after meal was authentic and enjoyable.we had a great chatting time.Thank you for everything, Izumi!
Aug 2023
Response from Izumi
Thank you for coming to my udon class!
Udon dance with you to our favorite music was really fun! It is a special memory for me. And the udon noodles you made looked delicious! I am very happy that you enjoyed it. Please make delicious udon at home!
illy, Australia
★★★★★Our cooking and tea ceremony experience with Izumi was amazing. The entire experience from start to finish was great, and it is probably the most unique experience we've had in Japan. Izumi welcomed us into her home, taught us how to make Musashino dashi-based pork soup Udon noodle and then afterwards we had a (casual) tea ceremony. Izumi was a great host, very nice, and very informative. Again, an unique and fun experience that I couldn't recommend more!
Aug 2023
Response from Izumi
Thank you for coming to my Udon class!
I really enjoyed the Udon dance with you. I have to prepare BTS music!!
I am very happy that you are interested in Japanese culture. You made delicious Udon noodles. Enjoy Udon life when you return to your country!
Elaine, Australia
★★★★★Izumi was amazing. The whole experience was wonderfully curated. Her helpfulness in ensuring that we get to her place was second to none. Very very thoughtful and the food was so yummy.
Jul 2023
Response from Izumi
Thank you for coming to my udon class!
You were friendly and made cooking very relaxing. Your Udon was very nice and beautiful! And your children ware sincere and kind so I could have a wonderful time with you guys. Thank you so much!
Ingrid, Canada
★★★★★Izumi-san's hand-made udon class was fantastic! She was hospitable and welcoming of us to her home. Her knowledge of udon making, from the type of flours and ingredients used, technique of using not only your hands but also your feet!, to the history of udon made the class interesting and fun. The dancing (on the udon!) was the best part, aside from enjoying the meal together. As a chef, I would highly recommend her class to other professionals, or home cooks interested in learning about Japanese cuisine as she's a great instructor. I look forward to taking another one of her workshops next time I am in Japan.
Jul 2023
Response from Izumi
Ingrid san
Thank you for joining my Udon class!
You were so fun, proactive and cooked so well. Your Udon dance was fun and cool! And your Udon was the best! I was very happy to have a good time with you. Let's cook together again!
Clara, United Kingdom
★★★★★We had such a wonderful time with Izumi and really enjoyed the cooking class. She was very welcoming and we felt immediately at home in her lovely house. She was knowledgeable about the process of making both the udon noodles and the dashi broth, explaining the process clearly and sharing information about the ingredients. We came away from the class with recipes for everything we made and feel very confident about making the noodles and the dashi ourselves. After we had eaten, Izumi demonstrated a matcha tea ceremony and we drank some lovely matcha. Izumi then drove us back to the train station. I cannot stress enough how delightful Izumi is and would highly recommend taking a class with her.
Jul 2023
Response from Izumi
Thank you for joining my cooking class!
I enjoyed cooking with you too. I will never forget stepping on udon dough while singing Queen's songs together. And I was very happy that you were so interested in cooking and participated.
Enjoy your udon life even after returning to your country with the "Menkiri Knife" for udon noodles!
Hosono, Japan
★★★★★The experience of making udon by stepping on the dough was really funtastic! Making this udon for the first time got me very excited. You won't find a cooking class as fun as this one. It was really fun and wonderful! Highly recommend it! After eating delicious udon, I was able to learn about Japanese culture at the matcha ceremony. I really loved the dishes, but also enjoyed Izumi's friendly and welcoming personality. Thank you Izumi!
Jun 2023
Response from Izumi
Thank you for coming to my cooking class today. It was so much fun cooking with you. It was really fun doing the stepping dance with you to make udon dough!
I'm really thankful to you!!
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Response from Izumi
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Yes, Learn to prepare foot-kneaded Japanese Udon noodles and Matcha tea ceremony has a vegan option.
Up to 4 people can join Izumi's cooking class.
Yes, Learn to prepare foot-kneaded Japanese Udon noodles and Matcha tea ceremony has a vegetarian option.
Duration of this cooking class is 2.5 hours.
Please go to Higashimurayama Station which takes 30 mins from Takadanobaba Station. Then Izumi (host) will pick you up there!
It costs 10000 per person.
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.
