Japanese Cooking Experience

This cooking experience began in 2013, during the third year of our thatched-roof house rental business. At that time, we were not able to provide dinner services. Guests either needed to buy groceries and cook for themselves or reserve a restaurant in advance.

One evening, a family of four from the United States arrived without any dinner plans. We quickly suggested cooking spaghetti, but we soon learned that their child had a wheat allergy, so that was not possible.

Not knowing what to do, we asked for help from a local woman named Kimiko, who lived nearby. She had been supporting us by cleaning the house and was also a wonderful home cook.

She immediately suggested,
“I have plenty of vegetables in my garden. Let’s make rice-flour tempura using fresh vegetables.”

That night turned into a joyful tempura party. The family knew about Japanese tempura, but because of their child’s allergy, they had already given up hope of trying it in Japan.

Thanks to Kimiko’s idea, they were able to enjoy tempura safely—and when they tasted it, they were overwhelmed with emotion. They told us, with tears in their eyes, that they had never eaten anything so delicious.

In that moment, we realized something important.
Japanese cuisine is not only about what chefs serve in restaurants. The everyday meals cooked by local women, shared and prepared together, can be an unforgettable cultural experience—especially for visitors who have never seen the real life of rural Japan.

From that time onward, we began working with local women as instructors, asking them to choose the best seasonal menu and share their cooking knowledge with our guests.

P.S.
Kimiko supported us for many years, but she decided to retire after turning 80 years old. However, her spirit of hospitality continues to live on through the people who followed her.