It’s no secret that the neon-lit Tokyo is one of the most popular places to visit in the world, with a bustling city center full of everything you could ever dream of.
One of its biggest attractions is undoubtedly the culinary scene, known for its precision, ancient techniques, modern technology, and unique flavors.
While I highly recommend checking out some of the sushi eateries there, nothing can compare to learning how to make the iconic dish from professional sushi chefs, themselves!
That’s why I’ve decided to carefully curate a guide to the top Tokyo sushi-making class tours in 2024! Let’s get started!
Best Sushi Making Classes in Tokyo
No1 Cooking Class in Tokyo! Sushi Making Experience in Asakusa | Tokyo Tsukiji Outer Market Walking Tour and Rolled Sushi Class | Kawaii Sushi Making in Tokyo (Japanese Food Cooking Class) | |
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Location: | 2-chÅme-1-13 Kaminarimon, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0034 | 3-chÅme-15-1 Tsukiji, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-8435 | 2-chÅme-1-13 Kaminarimon, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0034 |
Start: | Between 10:00 AM & 6:00 PM | 9:30 AM & 12:30 PM | Between 10:00 AM & 6:00 PM |
Duration: | 2 hours | 3 hours | 2 hours |
Includes: | Welcome drink, meal (consisting of the sushi you make) | English-speaking guide, Transportation between Tsukiji Market and Cooking Studio, apron | Welcome drink, meal (consisting of the sushi you make) |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Tokyo Sushi Making Classes For 2024
- No1 Cooking Class in Tokyo! Sushi Making Experience in Asakusa
- Kawaii Sushi Making in Tokyo (Japanese Food Cooking Class)
- Tokyo Tsukiji Outer Market Walking Tour and Rolled Sushi Class
- 3-Hour Small-Group Sushi Making Class in Tokyo
- Tsukiji Fish Market Visit with Sushi Making Experience
Tokyo Sushi Making Classes Reviews
1. No1 Cooking Class in Tokyo! Sushi Making Experience in Asakusa
- Duration:Â 2 hours
- Departure: 2-chÅme-1-13 Kaminarimon, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0034
- Departure Time: Between 10:00 AM & 6:00 PM
- Includes:Â Welcome drink, meal (consisting of the sushi you make)
What I love about this class is that it fits a ton into just a couple of hours, making it super easy to fit into any schedule.
The No1 Cooking Class in Tokyo Sushi Making Experience in Asakusa is surprisingly one of the newer additions, yet has quickly risen to be one of the most popular options! While there are countless types of Japanese sushi, in this class, we learned how to make Nigiri and Gunkan sushi.
The tour starts out by you meeting up on the 5th floor of a building close to the Asakusa Station on the Ginza line, which was relatively easy to find.
It was a very small class, with just a few other participants, which made it much more intimate and better for learning. I was able to ask any question I wanted without feeling like my voice wasn’t heard, and received personalized attention from our instructor.
For the first hour of the class, we received an interesting lesson on the history of sushi, and how it originated not only in Japan, but Korea and China, too!
It was a very educational experience, and the instruction was also very clear and concise! We also spent the first hour actually making our Nigiri sushi, and the second hour consisted of actually eating the sushi we made!
Afterward, we took some photos with an important landmark in Asakusa, with the local staff explaining its relevance in history to us.
If you’re looking for an exciting rainy day activity, I can’t recommend this one enough! It’s great for all ages, too, so bring the entire family along for the ride!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Kawaii Sushi Making in Tokyo (Japanese Food Cooking Class)
- Duration:Â 2 hours
- Departure: 2-chÅme-1-13 Kaminarimon, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0034
- Departure Time: Between 10:00 AM & 6:00 PM
- Includes:Â Welcome drink, meal (consisting of the sushi you make)
Next up, we have yet another relatively short yet info-packed class experience where you’ll get to make authentically tasty sushi!
The Kawaii Sushi Making in Tokyo (Japanese Food Cooking Class)Â draws many similarities to the first tour, with some distinct differences. The main difference is that instead of learning how to make Nigiri, you’ll be learning how to make Maki-Sushi and Temari-Sushi.
Temari is the type of sushi made into little ball shapes, and literally means “hand ball” in Japanese. They’re typically only made on “happy” events like Girl’s Day (Hinamatsuri) in Japan, are beautifully colorful, and surprisingly easy to make!
Maki is the “rolled” sushi that most of us in the Western world know as just “regular” sushi, where the rice is rolled in a sheet of dry seaweed, thin cucumber, or soy paper (less commonly).
We met up with our guides, who were super friendly and welcoming, only adding to the great experience. They started by telling us about the history of each type of sushi, which I found really interesting!
They managed to keep not only the adults’ attention but there were some children in our class and they seemed to have a great time, as well!
During the second half of the class, we got to sit down and enjoy the sushi plates that we made, which I was surprised at how much I loved mine!
After we enjoyed the rolls, our guides gave us a fun, interactive quiz on how much we’d learned which I also liked. I learned so much, I’m looking forward to be able to remake them for special events back home!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Tokyo Tsukiji Outer Market Walking Tour and Rolled Sushi Class
- Duration:Â 3 hours
- Departure: 3-chÅme-15-1 Tsukiji, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-8435
- Departure Time: 9:30 AM & 12:30 PM
- Includes:Â English-speaking guide, Transportation between Tsukiji Market and Cooking Studio, Use of apron, Drinking water at cooking studio
This next tour is a bit more comprehensive than the other two, so if you have a few hours free, give this one a look! The Tokyo Tsukiji Outer Market Walking Tour and Rolled Sushi Class is a 3-hour event that is incredibly educational, full of fun, and of course, delicious food!
If you’d like to learn as much as one possibly can in a day about sushi and the delicate artistry involved, look no further.
The tour started out by meeting our guide right outside the world-famous Tsukiji seafood market, which has quite the history, itself! We learned about how the market opened in 1935 as a replacement for an even older one which was unfortunately destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake!
It was relocated not too long ago in order to keep sanitation and safety in check, and now, only the exterior is available to explore.
Our guide took us through the bright and bustling aisles, where we saw sea urchins, octopuses, and countless other sea creatures used in traditional Japanese cuisine. We got the chance to have a couple of samples, while our guide informed us of what to look for when selecting certain ingredients.
We picked out what we needed for our sushi class for the day before heading back to the gourmet cooking studio of one of the continent’s most well-reputed culinary schools.
Once inside, we prepped the ingredients and learned how to make two different “washoku” recipes, which focus more on traditional and homemade techniques. Our rolls included a kind of omelet called ‘tamagoyaki’ along with various side dishes, for a full meal.
After we finished preparing the meal, we all sat down to enjoy our creations washed down with some wine, plum sake, or soft drinks.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. 3-Hour Small-Group Sushi Making Class in Tokyo
- Duration:Â 3 hours
- Departure: 18-39 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0016
- Departure Time:Â 1:30 PM
- Includes:Â Local, English-speaking cooking instructor, Recipes and ingredients, Apron and towel rental
If you have an afternoon free while in Tokyo, don’t miss out on this next class! The 3-Hour Small-Group Sushi Making Class in Tokyo is an immersive culinary adventure that left me with some newfound skills and a deeper appreciation for Japanese culture!
Led by expert sushi chefs in a traditional Japanese environment, I loved how authentic this experience felt, with a focus on premium ingredients.
We met up with our guides and the rest of our small group on the second floor of a residential building in central Tokyo, which was quite easy to get to. The women leading the class were incredibly sweet and welcoming, and it felt like old friends welcoming us into their home for a sushi lesson.
I noticed that there were solo travelers along with families with children in the class, and I’d attest to the fact that it’s perfect for all ages and backgrounds.
Our instructors showed us how to properly prepare various sushi fillings and toppings, like different types of fish, soup stock, sushi rice, and more.
There are many different types of sushi, but in this class we learned how to make Nigiri, rolled sushi, chirashi sushi, pressed sushi, and more! Each type calls for different ingredients and techniques, and I was grateful to expand my knowledge and taste with this class.
Each party made a different type of sushi or different dish, so that once we were all finished, we could all sit down and enjoy a massive sushi dinner! I loved learning about all the different nuances of Japanese cuisine, and appreciated just how well-organized everything was.
This was definitely a fun way to relax and open up my mind to new experiences right in the heart of Tokyo!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Tsukiji Fish Market Visit with Sushi Making Experience
- Duration:Â 4 hours
- Departure: 3-chÅme-15-1 Tsukiji, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-8435
- Departure Time: 8:30 AM
- Includes:Â Lunch (your own made sushi), Sushi workshop at Sushi restaurant, Local and professional guide, Transportation fee to Sushi restaurant
Last but not least, I bring you the longest sushi class tour of its kind, clocking in at 4 hours of learning and entertainment! The Tsukiji Fish Market Visit with Sushi Making Experience Tour is ideal for any food lover, taking you on a sensory journey spanning across the history of Japanese cuisine!
From beginning to end, we learned about what’s required to make world-class, authentic sushi, with skills you can take with you no matter where you are.
We met with our guide right outside of the famed Tsukiji Fish Market, where they led us through the labyrinth of different local vendor stalls to try and see all kinds of wild animals!
We learned about the intricate processes required to select the finest ingredients for delicious sushi, as well as the intriguing history of the market, itself. The market can get crazy packed full of consumers, seeing as it’s the go-to market for some of Japan’s most well-respected restaurant chefs.
After learning all about the different ingredients and how to select them, we headed back to the kitchen so we could learn firsthand how to prepare them.
I was fascinated by just how much skill and attention to detail making sushi requires, from perfecting the art of rice preparation to sushi-rolling techniques!
Every step of the way is a hands-on experience that helped me learn quickly and effectively (the guide was also great at answering all my burning questions!).
Of course, no class would be complete without getting to try the fruits of our labor over the previous couple of hours! All of our small group then sat down at a communal table to relax and enjoy our sushi creations paired with traditional Japanese accompaniments.
This is overall one of the best ways to gain insight into Tokyo’s fascinating culinary scene, and as spaces are limited, it’s important to book soon!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Chef Instruction
Foods Made
Value
The No1 Cooking Class in Tokyo! Sushi Making Experience in Asakusa is our Editors Choice for the best Tokyo sushi making class