$4500 - $6500 Book

Traditional Home Cooking Class in Hida with Locals

All amenities

Family Friendly
Vegetarian friendly
Japanese, English
House
Cooking demonstration
home cook
Cooking Experience
3 - 4 hours
Min 1, max 4 guests
Start times: 10:00am, 5:00pm
Hida home cooking and culinary traditions are deeply rooted in life in the mountains. Rena and her partner welcome you into their home to share simple, traditional dishes from the Hida region, prepared with fresh, local ingredients and seasonal vegetables.

In you hands-on cooking class in Hida, you’ll learn to make three dishes using ingredients grown locally. One highlight is aburae (egoma), a type of perilla seed used in Hida cooking for generations, adding a warm, nutty flavor to everyday meals. You’ll also cook with high-quality Hida rice, famous for its rich taste and texture. The class lasts about one hour. Because Rena’s home kitchen is small, the class is a mix of a demonstration and a hands-on experience. You’ll help grind perilla seeds, chop vegetables, and shape rice balls, while Rena guides you through each step. It feels just like cooking in a friend’s home - learning everyday traditional dishes from the Hida region and then sitting down together to enjoy the meal you’ve helped prepare.

This authentic Japanese cooking class in a local home in Hida is the perfect way to connect with people, discover regional food culture, and experience the traditions of the Japanese mountain areas.
Notes

1. Rena can accommodate a vegetarian diet, if informed in advance at the time of booking.
2. If you choose alcohol at an additional cost, you will be served 1-2 glasses of local sake, beer or wine.
3. Rena’s home is 20 minutes from Takayama Station and 10 minutes from Hida-Furukawa Station. The nearest station is JR Sugisaki, just a 7-minute walk from her house, where she will meet you for pickup.

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.

  • Menu is seasonal and is subject to change depending on the availability of ingredients
  • Vegetable with perilla seed
  • Komo tofu (tofu wrapped in a "komo" (a woven straw mat) and boiled in soup stock)
  • Knot-shaped konnyaku (konjac plant jelly, similar to noodles)
  • Hoba miso (grilled miso on a magnolia leaf with vegetables or beef)
  • Onigiri (rice ball)
  • Miso soup

More about Rena

Rena is a home cook who loves sharing traditional Japanese food culture from the Hida region of Japan. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, she and her partner spend their weekends cooking with fresh, local vegetables and savoring regional dishes that have been passed down for generations. Through her hands-on cooking classes in Hida, Rena invites travelers into her home to learn about unique local recipes, discover the flavors of rural Japan, and experience the warm hospitality of a Japanese household. Her goal is to preserve and share the food traditions of Hida, ensuring that this rich food culture continues to be appreciated for years to come.

What others are saying

Cancellation

  • No worries booking: free cancellation within 24 hours of booking.
  • Cancel anytime up to 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus service fees.
  • If your experience is cancelled within 48 hours of your experience, no refund is provided.

Location

Frequently asked questions

What is your cancellation policy?
Do you offer alcohol?
How can I contact my host?
What if I need to adjust the time of my experience?
What if I have dietary restrictions?
Will my experience be private?
Is this family-friendly?

Nearby experiences

travel off the eaten path

Subscribe to our newsletter (todo)