Kyoto · WORKSHOPS
The city still makes things by hand and a good number of the workshops will let you try. These 15 sessions are priced and timed, with a note on group size and what you take away.
Learn Kyoto tea ceremony basics with a licensed Urasenke tea master, matcha, sweets, and optional kimono or candlelight sessions near Kinkakuji.
“Splendid to learn the history of the tea ceremony from a practicing professional.”
Shape Japanese chopsticks by hand in Gion with a kanna plane, sanding, oil finishing, and optional engraving. A personal Kyoto souvenir.
“Good set-up, tooling and instruction, if not a bit a “production line” feel. Easy to make chopsticks, and engaging staff. Only one of the advertised two choices of wood was available which was a disappointing.”
Learn samurai bows, sword draws, strikes, and Kenbu in Kyoto, with costume photos, a performance, towel, and certificate included.
“It was a pleasure! The staff were very service minded and made sure all of the participants got pictures taken. It was also really cool to learn about and use a katana. Sensei Kashin was very humble and patient with us. Great experience!”
Make ramen from flour to bowl in Kyoto, customize broth and toppings, enjoy your creation, and take home a souvenir and recipe.
“This was an amazing experience! Sakura was great; she kept everything fun and upbeat. The ramen making class itself was entertaining, enjoyable and not overly complicated. The ramen was delicious - still can’t believe I made it! Highly recommend!”
Train in a Kyoto ninja dojo with an English-speaking master, trying swords, shuriken, kunai, blowguns, meditation, and stealth skills.
“My sister and I thought this experience was one of the highlights of our trip to Kyoto!! The host was funny and knew a lot about ninjas! We learned so much and it felt like a private experience! He even accommodated us because we were a little late due to traffic.”
Make miso and shoyu ramen, gyoza, and onigiri in a small Kyoto class with English-speaking instructors and recipes to take home.
“the team were so w arm and friendly, the food was delicious and it was a small group, we loved it”
Learn nigiri and maki in a restored Kyoto townhouse with Kana, fresh fish, tea, and a small group of eight.
“Everything - from start to finish - was AMAZING!!! Our sensei (teacher) - Kana - shared her knowledge of Kyoto and sushi-making with us so we could become better (?) sushi-makers. The sushi we made was delicious and definitely filling!! LOVED THE ASSORTMENT and DIFFERENT STYLES TOO!!! Definitely gonna try to dc this at home! Doomo areigato, Kana and hubby!! CONGRATS”
Make a Kyoto bento with sushi, tempura, tofu salad, and omelette while learning washoku skills from a local chef.
“I booked this as a way to learn more about Japanese food at the beginning of our trip, and it was wonderful! Our host was knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming. I loved that it was a small group and that we got to cook so much. I felt like I learned so much and it was truly a highlight of our first trip to Japan!”
Make ramen, gyoza, and fried rice with Kyoto chefs in a small group class, then enjoy your meal with two drinks and take-home recipes.
“This was a most enjoyable experience with a very friendly professional chef. Our guide, Yuki san, was a gracious host who kindly translated the instructions for our ramen and gyoza making activities. We had a delicious (large!) meal afterwards. There were only 4 of us in the group which made it even more special. Yuki san was kind enough to even give us additional local recommendations for other local sites. I would highly recommend this activity and this team in particular.”
Learn practical Japanese izakaya dishes in Kyoto with English-speaking chefs, hands-on cooking, shared meals, and recipes to take home.
“We absolutely loved this experience! The women who lead the class were exceptional. They were very friendly, knowledgeable and encouraging. It was a highlight of our time in Kyoto. We definitely recommend this class! There were many different dishes to prepare and try but they were all relatively simply and fun to make.”
Learn dashi, Japanese seasoning, and six izakaya dishes in a hands-on Kyoto cooking class with dinner, recipes, and an English-speaking chef.
“We loved this cooking class! We were visiting our son who was going to the university and looking for something fun to do. It was such a great thing for us to do together! Instructors were very knowledgeable and fun! We learned a lot and ate very delicious food! Would definitely do this again!”
Train in Kyoto with a Japanese ninja master, learning meditation, sword work, shuriken, blow darts, and more in a six-person class.
“Very interactive and our instructors are awesome and funny. My son and I had a great time, thank you so much! Regards, Flora.C”
Make Kyoto gyoza from scratch, learn Japanese food traditions, and try optional samurai armor in a 90-minute townhouse class.
“It was an AMAZING experience, we where 2 parents and one 10 year old child. Everyone enjoyed the experience! It was hands on and supper informative and fun. The facility is great and everyone had a personal working station. The instructRead more”
Make a Kyoto bento from scratch with master chefs, seasonal ingredients, sushi, tempura, miso soup, and recipes to take home.
“We loved our bento box cooking class. The chefs were friendly and helpful and we picked up som great tips for making it again at home. The food we made was delicious!”
Learn Japanese calligraphy in a Kyoto Buddhist temple, choose your kanji, and take home a handmade shikishi artwork and keychain.
“I had a wonderful time! It was such a fun workshop, although it's definitely more difficult than it looks. I accidentally booked the workshop in Dutch (my native language) instead of in English, but in the end it worked out great because I had great chats with my translator and she taught me a lot about life in Japan. Thank you so much for the fun workshop :)”
