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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Akiko

Nagoya, Japan

USD
$36-$74 per person

Nagoya cuisine with a local in her home

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

Meet Akiko

Akiko's love and excitement for cooking began as a child growing up in a suburb of Nagoya. By the time she was in high school she could prepare her own bento box! She still has fond memories of takoyaki, the crispy Octopus dumplings, a quintessential Japanese snack that was cooked in her home almost everyday! She has been cooking for almost 40 years now and it is the one thing that truly keeps her happy. Besides cooking, Akiko enjoys salsa and Latin music. She has been learning Spanish for the last few years so she can better understand the music while dancing.

After graduating from high school she studied abroad in a college in California. Later she moved to L.A, where she met her husband who was a chef at a Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo. Both her husband and mother-in-law are excellent cooks and thanks to them, she has inherited several family recipes. Akiko’s mother-in-law has jars of homemade pickles that are 50+ years old that Akiko hopes to adopt when her MIL retires. Akiko is thrilled about the opportunity to share specialties from Nagoya as a lot of people don’t know how to cook Nagoya-style food. Because of this, many Nagoyans themselves eat their local specialities at restaurants.

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.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Akiko lives in a modern Japanese home that includes pieces of traditional Japanese décor and tatami on some floors. After she welcomes you to her simple home with the classic welcome tea and Japanese sweets, she will give you an understanding of Japanese food especially from the Nagoya region. Later you will join Akiko for a meal that may include dishes such as doteni (red miso stew), tebasaki (fried chicken Nagoya style), misokatsu (miso pork cutlet sandwich) and tenmusu (shrimp tempura in a rice ball).

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join Akiko in her kitchen to make classic Nagoya dishes such as red miso stew and shrimp tempura in a rice ball or fried chicken, Nagoya style. You will also learn how to make dashi stock from scratch for the miso stew. Your cooking class will last about an hour before you sit down to share the Nagoyan style Japanese meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-6 guests) This market tour involves a tour of the local supermarket where locals generally shop. Akiko will accompany you to a local supermarket located near the JR station. After you meet Akiko at the station she will take you the local supermarket located in the JR station, where she will show and describe the different ingredients used in Japanese cooking and seasoning. If you like, Akiko can help you purchase local ingredients that you can take back home from Japan.

Notes: If you have specific food preferences such as Halal or Vegan, please let Akiko know when making your reservation. Also, if you would like to try sushi or any other Japanese food please let Akiko know in advance, as she is happy to customize the menu for each guest.

Languages spoken: English, Japanese and Spanish

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.
  • Doteni (red miso stew)
  • Tebasaki (fried chicken Nagoya style)
  • Misokatsu (miso pork cutlet sandwich)
  • Tenmusu (shrimp tempura in a rice ball)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Overall, I had a very good time, the experience with Aki-san was fun! I was quite surprised when Aki-san put the udon dough in a plastic bag, set it on the floor, and proceeded to knead it with her feet! Genius! And it was neat to see solid katsuo-bushi grated the old-fashioned way for dashi; I’d heard about that, but never seen it before. The presentation of all the food was good, and Aki-san has a whole cupboard crammed with dishes and bowls to choose from (typically Japanese, and fun). I did learn about Nagoya-style food, which was very tasty. Aki-san thoughtfully provides a printed copy of the recipes, which I appreciate.

Misch, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
We booked Traveling Spoon from Nagoya and met Ms. Okabe from Kachigawa. She picked us up at the train station of the same name. We were able to take our suitcases with us after a short telephone consultation. We just didn't find any free lockers in Nagoya. We cooked Japanese curry and ramen with her that evening. For the ramen we freshly prepared the dashi and also the chashu. We were very happy about it. Despite small communication difficulties, we enjoyed cooking again after 2 weeks of visiting restaurants and holding all the ingredients in our hands. She was very helpful and friendly. She included us in everything as best she could. She also told us about her plan to open an edible cactus restaurant this year. [a specialty from Kachigawa] We wish her all the best and much success! :) It was a very nice and delicious evening <3
- Marina D January 10, 2024
We had a great time with Akiko-san! She first brought us to a supermarket where she answered all our questions. After that, she brought us to her place where she presented all the meals that we would prepare. She already had the recipes printed so we could bring them with us afterward. The food was delicious! And we even had leftovers for the next day 🙂
- Minisab April 16, 2023
Akiko was a very warm and considerate hostess. Her love of cooking, Japanese culture, and visitors is apparent. We learned many things about Japanese ingredients, food, and cooking that we can take home to share! The meal was delicious and unique to her region. This experience was one of the highlights of l our trip to Japan! You always have a place to stay in our home in Oregon. Thank you Akiko and Meg!
- vegosaurus April 11, 2019
We loved our visit to Akiko's house in Nagoya for the cooking class. Akiko, her sister and daughter spoke really good English so we could ask lots of questions about the food and their daily life. The food we cooked - Nagoya style fried chicken, miso soup, tempura rice balls was really delicious. They also picked us up from the nearby station and dropped us back. One of the highlights of our trip to Japan.
- September 26, 2017
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Akiko

$36-$74 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+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $46 $42 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $64 $52 $40
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $64 $52
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $46 $42 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $64 $52 $40
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $64 $52
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 11:30am-1:30pm 5:30pm-7:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm 5:30pm-8:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm

Meet Akiko

Akiko's love and excitement for cooking began as a child growing up in a suburb of Nagoya. By the time she was in high school she could prepare her own bento box! She still has fond memories of takoyaki, the crispy Octopus dumplings, a quintessential Japanese snack that was cooked in her home almost everyday! She has been cooking for almost 40 years now and it is the one thing that truly keeps her happy. Besides cooking, Akiko enjoys salsa and Latin music. She has been learning Spanish for the last few years so she can better understand the music while dancing.

After graduating from high school she studied abroad in a college in California. Later she moved to L.A, where she met her husband who was a chef at a Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo. Both her husband and mother-in-law are excellent cooks and thanks to them, she has inherited several family recipes. Akiko’s mother-in-law has jars of homemade pickles that are 50+ years old that Akiko hopes to adopt when her MIL retires. Akiko is thrilled about the opportunity to share specialties from Nagoya as a lot of people don’t know how to cook Nagoya-style food. Because of this, many Nagoyans themselves eat their local specialities at restaurants.

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.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Akiko lives in a modern Japanese home that includes pieces of traditional Japanese décor and tatami on some floors. After she welcomes you to her simple home with the classic welcome tea and Japanese sweets, she will give you an understanding of Japanese food especially from the Nagoya region. Later you will join Akiko for a meal that may include dishes such as doteni (red miso stew), tebasaki (fried chicken Nagoya style), misokatsu (miso pork cutlet sandwich) and tenmusu (shrimp tempura in a rice ball).

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join Akiko in her kitchen to make classic Nagoya dishes such as red miso stew and shrimp tempura in a rice ball or fried chicken, Nagoya style. You will also learn how to make dashi stock from scratch for the miso stew. Your cooking class will last about an hour before you sit down to share the Nagoyan style Japanese meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-6 guests) This market tour involves a tour of the local supermarket where locals generally shop. Akiko will accompany you to a local supermarket located near the JR station. After you meet Akiko at the station she will take you the local supermarket located in the JR station, where she will show and describe the different ingredients used in Japanese cooking and seasoning. If you like, Akiko can help you purchase local ingredients that you can take back home from Japan.

Notes: If you have specific food preferences such as Halal or Vegan, please let Akiko know when making your reservation. Also, if you would like to try sushi or any other Japanese food please let Akiko know in advance, as she is happy to customize the menu for each guest.

Languages spoken: English, Japanese and Spanish

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.
  • Doteni (red miso stew)
  • Tebasaki (fried chicken Nagoya style)
  • Misokatsu (miso pork cutlet sandwich)
  • Tenmusu (shrimp tempura in a rice ball)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Overall, I had a very good time, the experience with Aki-san was fun! I was quite surprised when Aki-san put the udon dough in a plastic bag, set it on the floor, and proceeded to knead it with her feet! Genius! And it was neat to see solid katsuo-bushi grated the old-fashioned way for dashi; I’d heard about that, but never seen it before. The presentation of all the food was good, and Aki-san has a whole cupboard crammed with dishes and bowls to choose from (typically Japanese, and fun). I did learn about Nagoya-style food, which was very tasty. Aki-san thoughtfully provides a printed copy of the recipes, which I appreciate.

Misch, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
We booked Traveling Spoon from Nagoya and met Ms. Okabe from Kachigawa. She picked us up at the train station of the same name. We were able to take our suitcases with us after a short telephone consultation. We just didn't find any free lockers in Nagoya. We cooked Japanese curry and ramen with her that evening. For the ramen we freshly prepared the dashi and also the chashu. We were very happy about it. Despite small communication difficulties, we enjoyed cooking again after 2 weeks of visiting restaurants and holding all the ingredients in our hands. She was very helpful and friendly. She included us in everything as best she could. She also told us about her plan to open an edible cactus restaurant this year. [a specialty from Kachigawa] We wish her all the best and much success! :) It was a very nice and delicious evening <3
- Marina D January 10, 2024
We had a great time with Akiko-san! She first brought us to a supermarket where she answered all our questions. After that, she brought us to her place where she presented all the meals that we would prepare. She already had the recipes printed so we could bring them with us afterward. The food was delicious! And we even had leftovers for the next day 🙂
- Minisab April 16, 2023
Akiko was a very warm and considerate hostess. Her love of cooking, Japanese culture, and visitors is apparent. We learned many things about Japanese ingredients, food, and cooking that we can take home to share! The meal was delicious and unique to her region. This experience was one of the highlights of l our trip to Japan! You always have a place to stay in our home in Oregon. Thank you Akiko and Meg!
- vegosaurus April 11, 2019
We loved our visit to Akiko's house in Nagoya for the cooking class. Akiko, her sister and daughter spoke really good English so we could ask lots of questions about the food and their daily life. The food we cooked - Nagoya style fried chicken, miso soup, tempura rice balls was really delicious. They also picked us up from the nearby station and dropped us back. One of the highlights of our trip to Japan.
- September 26, 2017
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $46 $42 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $64 $52 $40
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $64 $52
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $46 $42 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $64 $52 $40
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $64 $52
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 11:30am-1:30pm 5:30pm-7:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm 5:30pm-8:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm
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.