Tokyo · Private Culinary Experience
From a local fish market to nigiri you shape yourself — the unadorned, everyday Tokyo.
Concept
Farm to Table: follow the story of your ingredients, from a local fish-market supermarket few tourists ever find to the plate you make yourself. This is not a cooking class — it is a doorway into the craftsmanship, hospitality, and cultural depth that define Japanese cuisine.
With your guide, you head for Yoshiike, a fresh-fish supermarket in Okachimachi where Tokyoites have shopped for decades — a place no guidebook lists. No English signs, no tour buses; just everyday Tokyo at its true scale. Alongside locals doing their daily shopping, you choose today’s ingredients with your own eyes.
A short train ride away (the Ueno area, about ten minutes), a professional sushi chef guides you one-on-one in a kitchen studio. The temperature of the rice, the angle of the fish, the motion of the hand — step by step, this is knowledge the hands learn, not the words. By the time you leave, you understand not only how sushi tastes, but how it is made.
Your finished nigiri and a seasonal dish are enjoyed there and then, paired with sake.
Highlights
To Yoshiike, a fresh-fish supermarket in Okachimachi that most travellers never know. No staging for tourists, no tour-price mark-up — just the real culinary Tokyo where locals shop every day. With your guide you choose the season’s fish and carry your own ingredients to the studio.
Eight pieces of nigiri, taught hand to hand — from the rice-shaping demonstration to the precise angle of each topping. Balance, motion, feel: a skill you take home.
Spring chawanmushi, summer edamame tofu, autumn mushroom soup — a seasonal side dish you prepare step by step with your own hands. (The dish varies by season.)
Savour your own creations alongside three carefully chosen sake — a tasting where the flavour shifts with every pour.
The Experience
From the meeting point to your certificate, about 2.5 hours. (Times are approximate.)
Gather at JR Okachimachi Station (or Naka-Okachimachi subway station). Your guide introduces Yoshiike and the plan for the day.
Step into Yoshiike, the local fresh-fish supermarket. Shoulder to shoulder with local shoppers, learn how to judge freshness and choose the day’s fish yourself — everyday Tokyo food culture, first-hand.
Take the train to the kitchen studio in the Ueno area (Aimar Studio Ueno, about ten minutes). Aprons on, and you are ready.
A concise history of sushi and a live demonstration of preparing the rice — the foundation beneath every piece of nigiri.
Under the chef’s one-on-one guidance, practise the shaping technique, the balance of rice and topping, and the precise motion of the hand — piece by piece.
Prepare a dish suited to the current season, carefully, step by step.
Enjoy the sushi you sourced and shaped yourself, with a flight of three sake.
Receive your recipe card (English & Japanese) and a certificate. Until we meet again.
What's Included
¥30,000 per guest. We are happy to tailor the experience to your group and any special requests.
Why Anjean
Where the typical sushi class begins and ends in the studio, this experience begins at the market.
Most sushi classes centre on a studio session with the ingredients already laid out. We take you to Yoshiike in Okachimachi — a fresh-fish supermarket where locals have shopped for decades and tourists almost never set foot. Experiencing, unbroken, how a single fish becomes a single plate is the heart of this tour. The craftsmanship you practise, the hospitality you feel, the cultural depth you absorb: these are what shape truly authentic Japanese cuisine.
Farm to Table. It begins at Yoshiike in Okachimachi — a fresh-fish supermarket locals frequent daily and tourists rarely enter. Shoulder to shoulder with residents, you choose your ingredients with your own eyes. The story starts in that moment.
Close enough to watch the chef’s hands, small enough for individual attention. Ideal for a special anniversary, a private celebration, or a family outing — fully private bookings are welcome.
A flight of three curated sake, your photos, a recipe card, and a certificate — thoughtful care that lasts beyond the experience.
Good to Know
When you enquire, tell us about any allergies, ingredients to avoid, or special circumstances. We will accommodate you wherever we can.
Gallery
FAQ
Yes — we adjust ingredients wherever possible. Please tell us about raw fish, shellfish, or specific allergies when you enquire, and we will prepare so you can take part with confidence.
We offer a non-alcoholic pairing of tea and soft drinks in place of the sake. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20, so guests under 20 are served the non-alcoholic pairing as well.
Families are very welcome. An instructor supervises any knife work and adapts to your children’s ages for safety. Please share your children’s details when you book.
A small group of 2–6 guests. With a maximum of six, the chef can keep an eye on everyone. Private bookings for family or friends, and special-anniversary occasions, are all available.
Cancellations three or more days before the experience are free of charge. Cancellations one to two days prior incur 50% of the fee, and same-day cancellations are charged in full. If your plans change, please contact us as early as you can.
Send us your preferred dates, group size, and any requests through the enquiry form. We will reply personally with the details and a quote. Once everything is confirmed, you pay by card through Stripe’s secure checkout page — we never store your card details on this site. No upfront online payment or reservation is required.
How It Works
There is no online booking or upfront payment. Simply send us an enquiry — we reply personally, tailor the details with you, and only then move on to payment.
We usually reply within 24 hours (JST, English welcome).
Tell us your preferred dates, group size, and any requests through the form. It is free, and no booking or payment is made at this stage.
We reply by email, usually within 24 hours (JST). We are happy to adjust dates, accommodate special requests, and correspond in English.
We finalise your dates, group size, and any dietary considerations together.
Once the details are confirmed, you pay by card through Stripe’s secure checkout page. We never store your card details on this site.
We send your meeting point, the plan for the day, and what to bring. Changes and cancellations can be arranged too.
We will be waiting for you on the day — all that is left is to enjoy the moment.
Sending an enquiry is free — it is not a reservation and involves no payment. Even if your dates are not fixed yet, you are welcome to just ask.
We tailor the experience to your dates, your group, and your tastes. For a special anniversary, a family adventure, or simply a morning you will never forget — reach out any time.
Every enquiry answered personally. No booking fees.
