Choosing between workshops tours in hokkaido comes down to season, budget, and how much ground you want to cover in a day. We review every option and keep the 10 best here.
★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · from $59.31Our top pick
Meet Yuki near Makomanai Station and learn to shape nerikiri, one of Japan’s most delicate sweets, in her cozy Sapporo home. You’ll enjoy matcha, clear English instruction, local tips, and a calm break from the city center.
“Yuki was a wonderful host. She promptly picked us up from the train station and took us to her traditional Japanese home which was wonderful. We had special green tea served in Japanese teacups and nice conversation. Afterwards we proceeded to the wagashi making table. Her sweet making instructions were clear. She even provided us with the history of the sweets we made. In addition to clear directions in english, she also provided written english instructions for us to keep. After making the sweets we had more nice conversations. At the end she packed our sweets in nice containers and took us back to the train station. It was a…”
Spend two hours with Yuki and Yui learning decorative flower sushi rolls in Sapporo. You get English instruction, ingredients, a free apron, recipes, take-home sushi, and optional bento or miso soup lessons.
“It was so much fun! Yuki was such an amazing host, she has the cutest cat ever, and her instructions and recipe were easy to understand and follow. If you want to learn how to make sushi and have some time to learn and have some nice tea and conversation, would definitely recommend this to anyone!”
Meet chef Shiori at Sumikawa Station and cook in her private Sapporo home. In about three hours, you will prepare Japanese dishes such as sushi and somen, enjoy a home-cooked meal, and learn techniques to use at home.
“Shiori was a fabulous hostess! She was warm and welcoming, patient, clear, and made the whole experience interesting and enjoyable. I learned a lot and enjoyed the scrumptious feast. I will definitely be applying the techniques she shared when I get home.”
Meet Kanae at Maruyama Koen Station for a market visit, fresh ingredient shopping, and 1 to 1.5 hours of cooking in her Sapporo home. Enjoy the meal with one or two local alcoholic drinks, with vegetarian and vegan options available by request.
“Loved our cooking class with Kanae in her beautiful home surrounded by mountains and falling snow. We were collected at the meeting point by Kanae and then driven first the local fish and food markets where we purchased our supplies for Read more”
Meet local host Kanae in Sapporo, travel to her family home, and prepare a homemade Japanese meal with seasonal ingredients. The three-hour private class may include udon, tempura, seafood, burdock, tofu, and miso soup, with one or two local alcoholic drinks included.
“It was a unique experience. We were taught how to cook and make some dished which we also had for dinner!! Delicious!! Our host was very accommodating!”
Meet Sakura near Higashi-Sapporo for a private home cooking class. Prepare two or three seasonal dishes, such as miso soup, onigiri, or tamago, then eat together with local drinks.
“Chef Sakura was very patient with me! I ended up losing my way for a while and ended up being quite late for my reservation. Take it from me, use the Google link provided in the description! It will make your trip sooo much easier than Read more”
At Workshop Smith inside Keio Plaza Hotel Sapporo, you will shape a handmade silver ring with English or Japanese instruction. Add up to 10 engraved characters or a Hokkaido landmark symbol, then take your finished ring home that day.
At 日本茶と和菓子 エフ near Maruyama Park, you will brew Japanese tea three ways, compare temperature and timing, taste two teas, and pair them with seasonal wagashi. This private 90-minute class begins at 10:00 am and ends at the meeting point.
“It was a wonderful experience. The profound world of Japanese tea and its various ways of enjoying it taught me new discoveries every time I made it. Japanese sweets imitating spring flowers made us feel the Japanese season and made Read moreAuto-translated”
Spend two hours learning kendo in Nakashibetsu with Takeru, an instructor with 25 years of experience. Practice with a bamboo sword, write your name in calligraphy, strike protective armor, and request a harder workout if you want one.
“I had a fantastic time with Takeru learning kendo and then putting it into practice. The venue is an interesting place to see, with areas for each practice set out from one another. The lesson was well structured and varied, we moved at a paRead more”
Meet Yuko at Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf MOO for a two-hour, English-led bento class. Prepare a meat or fish lunch, master tamagoyaki, eat together, and take home recipes.
