You've heard of Tokyo and Osaka — but do you know about Nagoya, the massive manufacturing hub and third biggest urban area in Japan? Conveniently located between Japan's most popular tourism regions, the capital city of Aichi Prefecture has a unique local food culture that shouldn't be missed! Nagoya is known for jazzing up classic Japanese dishes with its unusual regional variants, such as red miso katsu and tenmusu tempura onigiri. So why not take a Nagoya cooking class to connect with locals, learn about Japanese food culture, and take home new skills that will impress your friends?
8 Best Nagoya Cooking Classes
Here are the eight best Nagoya cooking classes we recommend!
- Seasonal home cooking class in Nagoya
- Nagoya sweets-making class with tea ceremony
- Make Nagoya specialties with Grandma Junko
- Nagoya sushi-making class
- Ramen and gyoza cooking class in Nagoya
- Healthy Japanese dishes cooking class in Nagoya
- Udon and tempura cooking class in Nagoya
- Sushi cooking class in central Nagoya (3 options)
1. Seasonal Japanese home cooking class in Nagoya
While Aichi Prefecture is best known for housing the headquarters of Toyota or for the more recently-opened Ghibli Park, it also has a lesser-known unique local gourmet scene. After a brief introduction and a walk through the recipes, you’ll have a chance to sample some of Aichi Prefecture’s popular seasonings and Japanese soup stock (dashi) made using traditional methods. Then, you’ll roll up your sleeves and learn how to make a washoku meal consisting of five popular dishes: miso soup, rolled Japanese-style omelet (dashimaki tamago), a main dish of either chicken or fish, rice, and Japanese sweets (wagashi).
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2. Nagoya sweets-making class with tea ceremony
No Japan trip would be complete without a taste of delicious traditional Japanese wagashi sweets and green tea. This Nagoya sweets-making class takes place in a beautiful renovated Japanese storehouse, or kura, furnished with tatami straw mats and traditional decor. Not only will you prepare several wagashi from scratch with ingredients from the cooking instructor's garden, but you'll also be treated to a certified, immersive Japanese tea ceremony.
This cooking class is perfect for travelers who have yet to enjoy the incredible delicacy of Japanese sweets and tea, as well as lovers of authentic garden-to-table food experiences!
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3. Make Nagoya specialties with Grandma Junko
Grandma Junko’s kitchen is filled with warmth, joy, love, and decades of culinary experience. Born and raised in Nagoya, Grandma Junko turned a passion for healthy Japanese cooking into her purpose. After fine-tuning her cooking skills and harnessing generational recipes, she went on to open a natural food store and teach healthy cooking classes. In this cooking class, you’ll learn how to make two Nagoya specialties: tebasaki-style chicken wings, kishimen flat udon noodles, and tenmusu-style onigiri.
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4. Nagoya sushi-making class
If you're looking for a cooking class in Nagoya that focuses specifically on sushi, look no further than this Nagoya Sushi Making Class, where you'll learn how to make four different types of sushi! Get a thorough look at the fine art of sushi making by preparing ball-shaped temari sushi, hand-rolled makizushi, fish-free vegetable sushi, and gunkanmaki battleship-shaped sushi. Take a calming walk around the cooking instructor's peaceful Japanese garden, enjoy a refreshing seasonal drink, then pick seasonal fruits and vegetables straight from the garden.
This tranquil cooking class is perfectly suited for travelers looking to take home some impressive sushi-making skills and explore a local Nagoya garden!
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5. Ramen and gyoza cooking class in Nagoya
Learn what goes into a hearty bowl of ramen noodles, how to use dashi for the broth, customize your bowl with different toppings, and work on your dumpling-folding technique using ingredients selected for their freshness and high quality. Then, enjoy your meal with your classmates and hosts. Practice makes perfect, and your take-home recipe booklet will help you recreate these classic Japanese dishes for friends and family.
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6. Healthy Japanese dishes cooking class in Nagoya
Take part in this cooking class to gain deep insight into how to make traditional Japanese food that's good for your body and your soul! Inside her traditional wooden storehouse that's over 105 years old, your local Japanese cooking teacher will guide you on exactly how to make four dishes: teriyaki chicken, chawanmushi savory egg custard, deep-fried tempura made with vegetables and seafood, and karaage fried chicken. Don't worry about not being able to transfer these skills to your own home kitchen; the instructor will teach you how to use non-Japanese alternative tools to make the same delicious dishes in your country.
If you're eager to take home some healthy Japanese recipes in English and get precious hands-on experience whipping up a Japanese feast, this cooking class is definitely for you!
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7. Udon and tempura cooking class in Nagoya
Only 15 minutes by train from Nagoya Station or about 20 minutes walking from Nagoya Castle, you’ll find Yuka and Hitomi’s state-of-the-art cooking studio, where you'll have a brief overview of the class and recipes before you get hands-on cooking. Before getting to work, you'll savor soup stock (dashi) and seasonings like soy sauce and mirin, brewed locally in Aichi Prefecture. You'll then assemble your bowl of udon with various toppings and deep-fry tempura, then enjoy both in a lively meal with your classmates and hosts. Take photos and receive a take-home recipe booklet to relive the experience and satisfy your noodle and tempura cravings anytime.
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8. Sushi cooking class in central Nagoya (3 options)
While it might seem like a simple combination of rice, seaweed, fish, and toppings, sushi requires a skill to be prepared right. Luckily, all you need to know will be covered in this fun cooking class in central Nagoya, perfect for sushi-makers of all levels. Before getting hands-on in making sushi, you’ll first get acquainted with the local flavors as you sample soup stock (dashi) and seasonings, like soy sauce and miso, made locally in Aichi Prefecture. You’ll then choose to make either nigiri sushi, classic rolled maki wrapped in seaweed, or chirashi, rice topped with sashimi and other ingredients like eggs and cucumbers.
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There's no better way to get an exclusive look into regional Chubu Japanese cuisine than with these local Japanese cooking classes. Complete with delicious Aichi regional options from misokatsu to tebasaki to vegan sushi, you'll come away from the experience a veritable expert on Nagoya cuisine! Book now to gift yourself and your fellow travelers an unforgettable, unique cooking class in the city of Nagoya.
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This blog post was originally written by Emily Suvannasankha. It was updated by byFood staff in May, 2024.
