Cook in a Local Japanese Home in Hida - Authentic Family Recipes

Step inside a local home in Japan's Hida mountains and learn family recipes rarely taught outside the region. Cook alongside your hosts using local ingredients like Hida rice and egoma, then sit down together to enjoy the meal you've prepared while sharing stories about daily life in rural Japan.

In you hands-on cooking class in Hida, you’ll learn to make three dishes using ingredients grown locally. One highlight is aburae (egoma), a type of perilla seed used in Hida cooking for generations, adding a warm, nutty flavor to everyday meals. You’ll also cook with high-quality Hida rice, famous for its rich taste and texture. Because Rena’s home kitchen is small, the class is a mix of a demonstration and a hands-on experience. You’ll help grind perilla seeds, chop vegetables, and shape rice balls, while Rena guides you through each step. It feels just like cooking in a friend’s home - learning everyday traditional dishes from the Hida region and then sitting down together to enjoy the meal you’ve helped prepare.

This authentic Japanese cooking class in a local home in Hida is the perfect way to connect with people and experience the traditions of the Japanese mountain areas.