This program is for people who like to learn and buy good things — real ingredients, real tools, real technique, taught by someone who has spent over a decade teaching Japanese cooking professionally. The core day is fixed. Everything past that is yours to build.

THE SIGNATURE DAY (Included for Everyone)

Welcome Kaiseki Lunch

We begin with a kaiseki lunch, explained course by course — how a menu follows the seasons, why dishes are plated the way they are, and a proper introduction to Japanese table manners and chopsticks etiquette, so the rest of the trip is easier and more comfortable to navigate.

Seasoning & Ingredient Tasting

Before we ever set foot in the market, you'll taste and compare seasonings and staples side by side — soy sauce, miso, vinegar, dashi — so the difference between good and mass-produced isn't just something you're told, it's something you already know by taste.

Japanese Market Tour

Now we go shopping. A guided walk through a local market, teaching you what actually makes an ingredient good — and what to avoid. This was one of the most popular classes I taught in Los Angeles for a reason: most visitors have no idea how to tell a well-made miso from a mass-produced one, or why so many "Japanese" products on shelves abroad are loaded with MSG and preservatives that wouldn't pass here. With the tasting fresh in your senses, you'll leave knowing what's worth buying, wherever you are.

Seki Knife Shopping

I live in Seki, a city known worldwide for swords and kitchen knives. I'll take you to the shops and makers I trust — not the tourist storefronts — so you leave with a knife that's actually good, and actually yours.

Cooking Class

Using what you just bought, we cook. Choose the version that fits you:

- Hands-on cooking — Apron on, knife in hand, real technique.

- Watch and learn — Pull up a seat at the counter, no chopping required.

- Skip the kitchen entirely — A local dining-out option instead, for an additional cost.

BUILD YOUR OWN: OPTIONAL ADD-ONS

Pick and choose to make the stay your own.

Craft & Skill

- Knife sharpening lesson — Learn to properly care for the knife you just bought.

- Wagashi making — Traditional Japanese sweets, shaped by hand and matched to the season.

- Ikebana — A short, quiet flower arranging lesson.

- Deep-dive cooking focus — For guests who want to go further than the signature class: choose a specific style or dish to study in depth (sushi, ramen, regional Gifu cuisine, shojin/vegetarian cooking, and more, tailored to what you want to learn).

Shopping

- Tajimi tableware shopping — Mino ware pottery studios and shops, to bring home something to actually serve your cooking on.

- Kappabashi kitchen goods tour (Tokyo) — For guests continuing on to Tokyo, my sister leads a guided tour of Kappabashi, Tokyo's legendary kitchenware district, to round out your collection.

Countryside Touring

- Nagara River Route (from JR Gifu Station) — Gifu Castle, cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, Mino's washi papermaking tradition, and Gujo's countryside food culture.

- Ceramics & Nakasendo Route (from JR Tajimi Station) — Mino ware pottery studios, then onward to Magome-juku and the old Nakasendo trail.

ONE NIGHT, OR TWO (OR THREE)

The signature day fits into a single overnight stay. But there's enough here — knives, market, cooking, sweets, flowers, pottery, countryside — that many guests choose to extend. Add a second or third night to work through more of the optional add-ons above at an easier pace, rather than packing everything into one day.

THE HOUSE

You'll stay in a private house, not a hotel. Rooms range from a private bathroom suite to shared-bath rooms with full-size or single beds, depending on your group size. Evenings wind down with dinner at the house; mornings begin with breakfast before you head out.

BUILT FOR HOW YOU ACTUALLY TRAVEL

Solo, as a couple, or with a small group — the signature day stays the same, and the add-ons flex around you. Come for the knives, the market, or the countryside. Leave with a better eye for what's actually good.

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PRICING (per person, per night)

1 guest (solo): $980

2 guests: $600/person ($1,200 total)

3 guests: $600/person ($1,800 total)

4 guests: $550/person ($2,200 total)

5 guests: $525/person ($2,625 total)

6 guests: $500/person ($3,000 total)