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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Rena

Hida, Japan

USD
$50-$72 per person

Traditional Home Cooking Class in Hida with Locals

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Rena

Rena is a home cook who loves sharing traditional Japanese food culture from the Hida region of Japan. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, she and her partner spend their weekends cooking with fresh, local vegetables and savoring regional dishes that have been passed down for generations. Through her hands-on cooking classes in Hida, Rena invites travelers into her home to learn about unique local recipes, discover the flavors of rural Japan, and experience the warm hospitality of a Japanese household. Her goal is to preserve and share the food traditions of Hida, ensuring that this rich food culture continues to be appreciated for years to come.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Hida home cooking and culinary traditions are deeply rooted in life in the mountains. Rena and her partner welcome you into their home to share simple, traditional dishes from the Hida region, prepared with fresh, local ingredients and seasonal vegetables.

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. The class lasts about one hour. 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, discover regional food culture, and experience the traditions of the Japanese mountain areas.

Notes:
1. Rena can accommodate a vegetarian diet, if informed in advance at the time of booking.
2. If you choose alcohol at an additional cost, you will be served 1-2 glasses of local sake, beer or wine.
3. Rena’s home is 20 minutes from Takayama Station and 10 minutes from Hida-Furukawa Station. The nearest station is JR Sugisaki, just a 7-minute walk from her house, where she will meet you for pickup.

Languages spoken: Japanese and English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Menu is seasonal and is subject to change depending on the availability of ingredients
  • Vegetable with perilla seed
  • Komo tofu (tofu wrapped in a "komo" (a woven straw mat) and boiled in soup stock)
  • Knot-shaped konnyaku (konjac plant jelly, similar to noodles)
  • Hoba miso (grilled miso on a magnolia leaf with vegetables or beef)
  • Onigiri (rice ball)
  • Miso soup
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Rena

$50-$72 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $72 $50 Not offered
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $72 $50 Not offered
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Rena

Rena is a home cook who loves sharing traditional Japanese food culture from the Hida region of Japan. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, she and her partner spend their weekends cooking with fresh, local vegetables and savoring regional dishes that have been passed down for generations. Through her hands-on cooking classes in Hida, Rena invites travelers into her home to learn about unique local recipes, discover the flavors of rural Japan, and experience the warm hospitality of a Japanese household. Her goal is to preserve and share the food traditions of Hida, ensuring that this rich food culture continues to be appreciated for years to come.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Hida home cooking and culinary traditions are deeply rooted in life in the mountains. Rena and her partner welcome you into their home to share simple, traditional dishes from the Hida region, prepared with fresh, local ingredients and seasonal vegetables.

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. The class lasts about one hour. 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, discover regional food culture, and experience the traditions of the Japanese mountain areas.

Notes:
1. Rena can accommodate a vegetarian diet, if informed in advance at the time of booking.
2. If you choose alcohol at an additional cost, you will be served 1-2 glasses of local sake, beer or wine.
3. Rena’s home is 20 minutes from Takayama Station and 10 minutes from Hida-Furukawa Station. The nearest station is JR Sugisaki, just a 7-minute walk from her house, where she will meet you for pickup.

Languages spoken: Japanese and English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Menu is seasonal and is subject to change depending on the availability of ingredients
  • Vegetable with perilla seed
  • Komo tofu (tofu wrapped in a "komo" (a woven straw mat) and boiled in soup stock)
  • Knot-shaped konnyaku (konjac plant jelly, similar to noodles)
  • Hoba miso (grilled miso on a magnolia leaf with vegetables or beef)
  • Onigiri (rice ball)
  • Miso soup
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $72 $50 Not offered
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $72 $50 Not offered
Alcohol
 $16 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.