EXPERIENCE JAPANESE CULTURE FROM THE KITCHEN: MONTH BY MONTH, SEASON BY SEASON.
Whether you are new to Japan or have lived here for some time….
What are some of the things you wish to acquire during your time here?
- The Japanese language?
- Knowledge of Japanese values and the way of thinking, so you can better understand your Japanese colleagues or friends?
- A deeper understanding of Japan’s history, culture, customs, and wabi-sabi (Japanese aesthetic values)?
- Or simply how to cook healthy, everyday Japanese home cooking?
If this sounds like you, this is exactly the class you are looking for!
In my kitchen, I share the philosophy of SHUN—the peak of Japanese seasonal flavor—not just through recipes, but through the stories and traditions that make Japanese life so unique.
Here, the peak of seasonal flavor is explored through the lens of Japan’s monthly events, rituals, and traditional practices, giving you a deeper understanding of not only HOW to cook the dish, but WHY we eat it.
✿ DATES: Refer to booking below (Themes change monthly!)
✿ TIME: 10:00 am – 1:00 or 2:00 pm ish
✿ FEE: ¥10,000 (Tax included)
✿ LOCATION: Wa + Sabi Kitchen Studio (Hiyoshi, Yokohama)
✿ INCLUDES: Cultural introduction / Full cooking lesson / Seasonal UMAMI lunch / Complementary Japanese Wagashi (sweets) & Tea / Full textbook / and a seasonal “something” to take home!
✿ MAX PARTICIPANTS: 5 people
✿ LEVEL: Beginner Friendly (Taught in English)
✿ BEYOND THE RECIPE: Cultural Storytelling & The Art of SHUN (food in season)
Before diving into the kitchen, we begin our journey by sitting down together with a traditional Japanese Wagashi (sweet) and a cup of tea in a relaxing, casual atmosphere. Here, we explore the philosophy of SHUN—that fleeting moment when an ingredient reaches its absolute peak of flavor and nutrition.
You will learn how to incorporate each month’s SHUN ingredients into your daily meals and how to spot these best-quality treasures in your local shops, through learning about upcoming month’s cultural events (such as Cherry Blossom Viewing Event, New Years Event, Children’s Day Event, etc).
By exploring the stories, history, and symbolism of next month’s cultural events today, you gain a deeper understanding of the core values that shape Japanese life. You’ll see exactly how our ancestors defined every seasonal celebration around these natural gifts—and you’ll leave fully prepared to celebrate at home with your own family and friends when the day arrives!
✿ Hands-On Seasonal Cooking
Moving into the kitchen, we prepare a full, home-style set menu reflecting exactly what Japanese families eat during these seasonal transitions. You’ll learn to recreate dishes you may have admired, such as:
- A Seasonal Rice Dish (featuring the month’s SHUN ingredients)
- A Nutritious Soup
- One Main Dish (e.g., seasonal vegetable tempura, deep fried soy sauce marinated fish, tofu hotpot with chicken balls, etc)
- One to Two Seasonal Side Dishes (e.g., savory egg custard, rolled omelets, veggies dressed with creamy tofu, etc)
✿ The Seasonal Feast (Lunch)
The best part! We wrap up the session by enjoying the full, UMAMI-rich lunch we’ve just prepared together. It’s a rewarding moment of connection and conversation, celebrating the flavors of the season we’ve just mastered.
✿ The Cultural Cookbook: A full textbook containing the month’s recipes and the cultural stories we discussed in class.
✿ The “Recreate” Guide: Specific links and tips for tools and ingredients used in the recipes, so you can shop and cook with confidence.
✿ A Little Something: A seasonal gift to help you celebrate the month’s event at home with your family and friends.
✿ Community Access: An invitation to our private Facebook group, Wa + Sabi Club, to keep the seasonal conversation going with fellow residents.
YES! You can join at any time of the year.
YES! You can attend only the themes that interest you.
BUT! By the time you complete the full 12-month cycle, you will be a genuine expert in Japanese home cooking, seasonal traditions, and cultural values. Your supermarket trips will become a joy, and your life in Japan will feel deeper and more meaningful.
Spaces are limited, so book now and come discover the stories behind the Japanese kitchen!
❀ BOOKING & PAYMENT ❀
Check out other classes/workshops offered at Wa + Sabi here:
https://wasabiplus.com/class_catalogue/
ALL MONTHLY THEME & MENU
+JANUARY COOKING CLASS+
< SETSU BUN / Bean Throwing Event >
+ Rolled Sushi
+ Sardine ball miso soup
+ Soy beans and vegetable simmered in DASHI broth and soy sauce
+FEBRUARY COOKING CLASS+
< HINA MATSURI / Doll Festival >
+ Scattered Sushi
+ Clam soup
+ Sea bream with cherry blossom sauce
+ Canola blossoms marinated with
KOMBU seaweed
+MARCH COOKING CLASS+
< HANAMI /Cherry blossom viewing >
+ Rice with salted cherry blossoms
+ Egg tofu and Bamboo shoot clear soup
+ Deep fried Spanish mackerel
+ UMAMI Rolled omelette
+APRIL COOKING CLASS+
< KODOMO NO HI /Children’s Day or Boy’s Day >
+ Rice with bamboo shoot
+ MISO soup w/ asparagus and tofu puff
+ Yellowtail teriyaki
+ Hijiki seaweed dressed with creamy tofu
+MAY COOKING CLASS+
< NAGOSHI no HARAE / Summer Purification Ritual >
+Shredded vegetable and seafood tempura bowl
+ MISO soup with cabbage & tempura bits
+ Seared horse mackerel
+ Sesame tofu
+JUNE COOKING CLASS+
< TANABATA / The Star Festival >
+ Thin wheat noodles with 2 dipping sauces
+ Simmered winter gourd with shrimp sauce
+ Okra and tomato dressed with sesame sauce
+ Broadbean dressed with cod roe sauce
+JULY COOKING CLASS+
<OBON / Welcoming of Spirits of Ancestors>
+ Rice with salted edamame
+ Cold MISO soup w/fish and cucumber
+ Summer vegetable tempura
+ Chilled tofu with topping
+AUGUST COOKING CLASS+
<TSUKIMI / Moon Viewing Festival>
+ Chestnut rice
+ MISO soup with daikon & spinach
+ TOFU and vegetable nuggets
+ Grilled eggplant with MISO glaze
+SEPTEMBER COOKING CLASS+
<IMONI KAI / Taro Potato Stew Festival>
+ Rice with MAITAKE mushroom
+ MISO soup with taro potatoes and vegetables
+ Salt grilled saury
+ Broccoli dressed with sesame sauce
+OCTOBER COOKING CLASS+
<SHICHIGOSAN / Celebration of Children’s Healthy Growth>
+ Steamed glutenous rice with red beans
+ Clear soup w/autumn veggies
+ Grilled MISO-marinated cod
+ Savory egg custard with vegetables
+NOVEMBER COOKING CLASS+
<TŌJI and ŌMISOKA / Winter Solstice and New Years Eve>
+ New Years Eve SOBA noodles
+ Japanese TOFU hotchpotch
+ Simmered pumpkin and red beans
+DECEMBER COOKING CLASS+
<OSHOGATSU / New Years >
+ Soup with MOCHI rice cakes
+ Japanese meatloaf
+ Shredded DAIKON and vegetables pickles
+ sweet yam puree in celebratory color
Kaori’s class was a perfect combination of Japanese foods and tradition. Kaori shared with us the bean throwing tradition and through traditions we were driven to the connecting dishes. We could get detailed information about the ingredients and we had a really entertaining time with her.All of dishes were fantastically delicious and beyond cooking we got serving ideas too. Thanks to the hand made recipe book we can prepare everything at home as well for sharing and forwarding the taste of Japanese food and tradition to our friends.
Thank you, Kaori!
Thank you soooooo much for such encouraging words Susanna! I was so happy to share our culture with you two. Hope you were able to enjoy the Setsubun event at home and hope you can join us soon again 🙂
My review comes late, but there is a reason. A cooking class is wonderful because of the new flavours or the new techniques learned there, but it becomes extraordinary when the people attending the class are really able to reproduce on their own what they learned.
My daughter and I attended Kaori’s December class and it was GREAT! And I am not talking here about the food (which was indeed delicious), but about the atmosphere Kaori created for us, the new ingredients that were so professionally explained and the stories about New Year’s traditions that opened Japan a little bit more for us.
The best part? My daughter made one of the dishes herself following the instructions in the booklet we received, I was able to prepare another one, so our New Year’s Eve had a bit of Kaori’s lesson influence. 🙂
Thank you, Kaori! We will come again. 🙂
OOOH Maria! Thank you so much for such a perfect review!!! I’m nothing but overjoyed by the fact that you were able to actually prepare the dishes at home, and you know, that’s the whole purpose of my lessons! And I’m even more overjoyed that even your daughter was able to cook the recipe on her own!!! How wonderful!!!!! Yes, very much looking forward to seeing you two soon again! Arigato!
Kaori doesn’t just teach a cooking lesson, she also shares us many interesting facts about the culture behind the dishes. Everything is based on the current season, very delicious and on top of that done in her lovely home. We will definitely come back for another lesson.
Thank you so much for such encouraging words Saskia! I hope I didn’t tire you out with all the information on the meaning behind each and every little thing! (Well wait until you hear every single meanings of our New Years dishes!) Yes! please do come back again. Look forward to seeing you soon!
Your November cooking lesson was so wonderful, Kaori!!
Had a great time learning about Japanese dishes and the ingredients used. Loved the way you described the importance and the customs related to each dish.
Thank you so much for joining us Sarika! Was a great pleasure to have you 🙂 Hope all we had shared will help you understand a lot of things you may spot during your life in Japan!
THis is so cool!
Thank you!! Hope you’ll join us too!