Takayama Townhouse Culinary Lessons and Connections: Regional Cooking Class and Fellowship with Locals

Chop, simmer, and boil your way to making tasty seasonal culinary delights in the local way using ingredients such as Hida beef, Hida vegetables and seafood from the Hokuriku region, with a huge Japanese machiya (townhouse) built 200 years ago in an old merchant town as a very special setting. Tour the townhouse and and observe its elegant architectural styles and furnishings, featuring prized Takayama crafts such as Shunkei lacquerware and Shibukusa-yaki ware. Listen to stories of the rich history behind these traditional crafts while you are served food piping hot on fine tableware lovingly passed down from many generations prior. Enjoy friendly chats and banter with the owners of the townhouse as they share tales about Japanese traditions and the local history as everyone digs into the delicious meals prepared together – truly a priceless moment of connection to be had on your Japan travels.

From AUD $474

Highlights

  • Explore the interior of a traditional Japanese townhouse built about two centuries ago in the Takayama's historical district not open to the general public - a very special opportunity.

  • Prepare homecooked food the traditional, Takayama way using local season ingredients while you learn about and enjoy the local hospitality.

  • Use fine Japanese tableware passed from generations ago the correct way, with guidance.

  • Savor your homecooked food in the atmosphere of a Japanese home party in the garden or the tatami room depending on the season.

  • Learn firsthand about the history, culture and customs of Japan and the Hida region by chatting with the townhouse owner who speaks English and has lived abroad.

  • Arrangements can be made in English for visitors from overseas

  • Duration

    4 hours

  • Offered in

    English

What is included

  • Machiya (townhouse) tour

  • Cooking lesson in English

  • Cooking ingredients

  • Drinks

ITINERARY

Meeting / Pickup Point

Iwasate

Start time

10:00:00

End point

Iwasate

What To Expect

Step inside a two-century-old, traditional Takayama townhouse on an exclusive tour that offers a rare glimpse into a historical private residence not typically open to the public. You'll not only explore this beautifully preserved home but also get a hands-on experience preparing authentic Takayama home-cooked food using fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Under the guidance of your English-speaking host, you'll learn to use exquisite, generations-old Japanese tableware correctly before enjoying your meal in a traditional Japanese home-party atmosphere, either in the serene garden or on the tatami room. This unique experience goes beyond a simple cooking class, providing a rich cultural immersion and a firsthand opportunity to learn about the history, customs, and warm hospitality of the Hida region.

Schedule

・10:00 - Meetup at Iwasatei, tour the machiya (townhouse) interior
・10:15 - Have a short break over tea and sweets
・10:30 - Begin cooking lesson
・12:00 - Enjoy lunch once finished cooking
・14:00 - End of activity, dispersal

※This itinerary is an example.























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    • Availability: 2025/1/7～2026/3/31

    • Number of Participants 2 to 4 people

    • Please inform us of any dietary requirements beforehand.

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