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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Akemi

Chigasaki, Japan

USD
$38-$90 per person

Authentic, home-cooked Japanese meal with a local

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

Meet Akemi

Akemi was born in Sapporo, and after graduation she went to Berkeley, California, for further studies. For several years Akemi had a career working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Akemi first began cooking for her family and then came to have a true passion for food and cooking. She comes from a large family and often hosts dinner parties for them. Apart from cooking, Akemi likes singing jazz, is a vocalist in a band, and volunteers teaching English at a Junior High School. Her biggest passions are meeting people, music and cooking. “I really want many people to eat homemade Japanese dishes and feel delighted!”

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: (1-5 guests) Akemi lives in a beautiful home near Chigasaki station and is excited to share with travelers the home cooked Japanese’s dishes she grew up eating. The food will be served in traditional Japanese ceramics and will have three distinct flavors - sour, sweet and salty. Your menu might include dishes such as osuimono (clear soup), shiogama-yaki (meat or fish cooked in a salt crust), yakitori (a Japanese style of skewered chicken), or oyako-donburi (chicken and egg over rice) served with seasonal vegetable and seasonal fruit.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) During your 1-hour, hands-on cooking class, Akemi will teach you how to make 2-3 traditional homestyle Japanese dishes. You might learn to make osuimono (clear soup), shiogama-yaki (meat or fish cooked in a salt crust) and seasonal vegetables. In addition to teaching you how to make each dish, Akemi is excited to share some of knowledge about Japanese cuisine and culture, such as why Japanese meals have a unique palate of flavors. After your cooking lesson sit down together to enjoy your homestyle Japanese meal at Akemi's dining table.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Walk with Akemi for 3 minutes to the nearby Fuji supermarket, and later drive for 5 minutes to the local fish specialty store. At both stops Akemi will teach you about different ingredients that are staples in Japanese kitchens. Please note, this is not a tour of a traditional fresh market, but rather a supermarket that sells the essentials for Japanese cooking, in which Akemi will help show you some of the ingredients behind Japanese homecooking. Your tour will last for about 30 minutes.

Notes: If you choose the optional transport add-on, Akemi offers private car transportation from Hakone, about 30 minutes by car each way. Please note that paid transport is only available on certain days of the week. Akemi offers a paid transportation option on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Languages spoken: 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.
  • Osuimono (clear soup)
  • Shiogama-yaki (meat or fish cooked in a salt crust) or Yakitori (a Japanese style of skewered chicken)
  • Oyako-donburi (chicken and egg over rice) or Umeboshi (dried plum eaten together with rice)
  • Seasonal vegetable
  • Seasonal fruit
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Kemmie is a bright and lovely person, and her home feels very warm. She is very flexible and is willing to adjust to the preferences of the travelers. Just tell her your suggestion and she’ll try to accommodate it, if it's possible. Not only did the food tasted very delicious, the food presentation was also superb, since Kemmie used traditional Japanese ceramics, which really enhanced the eating experience. You’ll also get to learn a lot of interesting things like why Japanese meals have different palate flavours and other insightful cultural trivia regarding the ingredients or the food that she has prepared. Through this experience, you can expect to eat authentic Japanese meals and learn more about Japan’s culture.

Camille, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
Akemi is a wonderful teacher who was more than willing to accommodate my specific learning needs! I know how to cook the most popular types of Japanese food that one thinks about as regular things like sushi, dashi, yakator, nori rolls etc. Through several email exchanges she got to know me and my desire to learn "family style cooking." We spent several enjoyable hours where she taught me the "true secret" of Japanese cooking.....I won't spoil your experience by revealing it, but you will be very happy to learn it from Akemi!
- dian777 December 03, 2023
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Akemi

$38-$90 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
 $50 $44 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $64 $50
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $90 $76 $64
Alcohol
 $8 per person
Transportation
 $38 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $50 $44 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $64 $50
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $90 $76 $64
Alcohol
 $8 per person
Transportation
 $38 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:30pm-8:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Akemi

Akemi was born in Sapporo, and after graduation she went to Berkeley, California, for further studies. For several years Akemi had a career working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Akemi first began cooking for her family and then came to have a true passion for food and cooking. She comes from a large family and often hosts dinner parties for them. Apart from cooking, Akemi likes singing jazz, is a vocalist in a band, and volunteers teaching English at a Junior High School. Her biggest passions are meeting people, music and cooking. “I really want many people to eat homemade Japanese dishes and feel delighted!”

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: (1-5 guests) Akemi lives in a beautiful home near Chigasaki station and is excited to share with travelers the home cooked Japanese’s dishes she grew up eating. The food will be served in traditional Japanese ceramics and will have three distinct flavors - sour, sweet and salty. Your menu might include dishes such as osuimono (clear soup), shiogama-yaki (meat or fish cooked in a salt crust), yakitori (a Japanese style of skewered chicken), or oyako-donburi (chicken and egg over rice) served with seasonal vegetable and seasonal fruit.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) During your 1-hour, hands-on cooking class, Akemi will teach you how to make 2-3 traditional homestyle Japanese dishes. You might learn to make osuimono (clear soup), shiogama-yaki (meat or fish cooked in a salt crust) and seasonal vegetables. In addition to teaching you how to make each dish, Akemi is excited to share some of knowledge about Japanese cuisine and culture, such as why Japanese meals have a unique palate of flavors. After your cooking lesson sit down together to enjoy your homestyle Japanese meal at Akemi's dining table.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Walk with Akemi for 3 minutes to the nearby Fuji supermarket, and later drive for 5 minutes to the local fish specialty store. At both stops Akemi will teach you about different ingredients that are staples in Japanese kitchens. Please note, this is not a tour of a traditional fresh market, but rather a supermarket that sells the essentials for Japanese cooking, in which Akemi will help show you some of the ingredients behind Japanese homecooking. Your tour will last for about 30 minutes.

Notes: If you choose the optional transport add-on, Akemi offers private car transportation from Hakone, about 30 minutes by car each way. Please note that paid transport is only available on certain days of the week. Akemi offers a paid transportation option on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Languages spoken: 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.
  • Osuimono (clear soup)
  • Shiogama-yaki (meat or fish cooked in a salt crust) or Yakitori (a Japanese style of skewered chicken)
  • Oyako-donburi (chicken and egg over rice) or Umeboshi (dried plum eaten together with rice)
  • Seasonal vegetable
  • Seasonal fruit
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Kemmie is a bright and lovely person, and her home feels very warm. She is very flexible and is willing to adjust to the preferences of the travelers. Just tell her your suggestion and she’ll try to accommodate it, if it's possible. Not only did the food tasted very delicious, the food presentation was also superb, since Kemmie used traditional Japanese ceramics, which really enhanced the eating experience. You’ll also get to learn a lot of interesting things like why Japanese meals have different palate flavours and other insightful cultural trivia regarding the ingredients or the food that she has prepared. Through this experience, you can expect to eat authentic Japanese meals and learn more about Japan’s culture.

Camille, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
Akemi is a wonderful teacher who was more than willing to accommodate my specific learning needs! I know how to cook the most popular types of Japanese food that one thinks about as regular things like sushi, dashi, yakator, nori rolls etc. Through several email exchanges she got to know me and my desire to learn "family style cooking." We spent several enjoyable hours where she taught me the "true secret" of Japanese cooking.....I won't spoil your experience by revealing it, but you will be very happy to learn it from Akemi!
- dian777 December 03, 2023
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $50 $44 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $64 $50
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $90 $76 $64
Alcohol
 $8 per person
Transportation
 $38 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $50 $44 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $76 $64 $50
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $90 $76 $64
Alcohol
 $8 per person
Transportation
 $38 per car
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:30pm-8:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-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.