30+
Years of teaching
Three decades teaching home cooking as it is actually made in Japanese households.
10+
Cookbooks
From weeknight dinners to seasonal kaiseki, two decades of recipes trusted by home cooks across Japan.
4
Continents
Trained in New York, Florence, Paris, and Hong Kong. She knows how to recreate Japanese dishes, wherever you are.
Guests maximum
Every student cooks. No one watches from the back. Small groups mean real conversation, personal attention, and real learning.
Rotating menus, each a different window into Japanese cooking.
A ryokan dinner, made by your own hands
¥35,000 / person
Japan's most beloved hot pot, with the best beef it deserves
¥30,000 / person
Market-fresh fish, shaped by your own hands
¥30,000 / person
The food Japanese families actually eat, cooked with love
¥28,000 / person
Buddhist temple cooking · vegan
¥27,000 / person
Private and bespoke menus available on request. Get in touch.
Included in every class
Every session closes with a traditional tea ceremony led by Natsuko herself. She has practiced the way of tea for over 40 years and holds a chamei certification from the Urasenke school, a rank that takes most practitioners a decade to reach and a certification required to not only serve but also teach the craft.
The ceremony is performed ryurei shiki style, seated at a table, making it accessible to all guests without losing any of its formality. A bowl of whisked matcha is prepared using the full otemae method and served alongside wagashi, delicate Japanese confectionery chosen to complement the tea.
It is a quiet close to the session: a chance to slow down and experience, firsthand, the attention and care that runs through every aspect of Japanese food culture.
Natsuko Nakamura is a Tokyo-based cooking teacher, cookbook author, and certified Urasenke tea master with over thirty years of experience in professional kitchens across four continents. She studied cooking in New York, Florence, Paris, and Hong Kong, ran her own cooking school in Manhattan, and has written 10+ cookbooks throughout a career that has taken her from television studios to university lecture halls. Back home in Tokyo, she leads Reiko Tanaka Cooking School, founded by her mother over 60 years ago.
Her classes for international guests draw on everything she has learned cooking Japanese food abroad: that authenticity is about technique and intention, not just ingredients, and that the right teaching can turn a single afternoon in Tokyo into a skill that travels home with you.
None at all. Classes are designed to welcome complete beginners just as warmly as experienced home cooks. Natsuko builds every session from the ground up — you will leave knowing not just what to do, but why.
Yes. The Shojin Ryori class is fully vegan by design. For all other menus, please note any requirements (allergies or strong dislikes) in the booking form or contact us before your reservation. Natsuko will do her best to accommodate.
Classes are taught in English. No Japanese is needed.
The full address is sent once your reservation is confirmed. The kitchen is in the Ginza/Tsukiji area. The nearest stations are Tsukiji (Hibiya Line), Shintomicho (Yurakucho Line), and Higashi-Ginza (Hibiya and Asakusa Lines).
You will be notified at least hours before the class if fewer than students have signed up. You can rebook at no charge for any available date, or receive a full refund — whichever you prefer.
We confirm each class 48 hours before it runs. Cancel any time before that confirmation and you receive a full refund — no questions asked. Once the class is confirmed, the full amount is retained as we will have already prepared for your visit. If we cancel on our side for any reason, you receive a full refund and priority booking for any future date.
Still have questions? Get in touch and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Classes book in advance — availability is limited to guests per session.
Reserve now