Published on Jun, 2024

What a great day! Makoto picked us up from the JR Miyazaki station and took us back to her house. Once we got out of the car, we had a walk around the neighbourhood and she gave us a nice historical explanation of the area and we also identified local plants and herbs used in cooking and healing. Once we got back to the house, we then learned how to roll sushi and make tempura - step by step in an easy and fun way. We had lots of laughs along the way! We were blessed to have Makoto's mother join us too and she created some magical accompanying dishes using the local herbs out of her garden and was a wealth of knowledge in explaining the different dishes and what she ate as a kid growing up in Japan. A truly amazing experience - thank you for the memories and the recipes!

Published on Oct, 2023

We had an incredibly wonderful cooking experience. The cozy setting and authentic atmosphere made us feel like we were being hosted by a good friend. Some of us has little cooking experience, also unable to speak Japanese, but all of us managed to cook nice sushi, tempura & Japanese sweet with the guidance of the skilled English speaking teacher. It was such a special and memorable experience we will treasure forever

Published on Mar, 2023

It was a great class learning about how to cook sukiyaki and the finer details of cooking that dish, along with details about the Miyazaki and this part of Japan. The learning experience was excellent and Makoto is engaging and interactive. I would recommend this experience to anyone even those with children. It was really good food and really great experience and great conversation with a local in her house

Published on Jan, 2020

James, my friend, and I went to Miyazaki to meet Makoto-san and her wonderful family. James and I study Japanese and love places that are authentic and rich in culture - Miyazaki has that. Kyoto is usually packed with tourists so it's hard for us to enjoy authentic Japanese culture in a bustling city. Miyazaki is situated in the most mesmerising place I have been to in Japan. I can honestly say if I had to live anywhere it would be in Miyazaki. If you love mountains, clear ocean water the colour of turquoise, beautiful wildlife, and ancient traditions - Miyazaki has all of it. On top of this we got to meet amazing people and Makoto's beautiful family. They are so welcoming and their house is really gorgeous. They built it themselves and its right next to a trail where you can stumble upon a beautiful Shrine. Makoto san taught us how to make Okonomiyaki, which is like the Japanese version of pizza. James and I have been making it since and it has definitely saved us from days where we either have no idea what to make. The whole family joined and we absolutely stuffed ourselves. Later she taught us how to make matcha, my first experience. I honestly don't know where you can really find this sort of experience because it is always made for you. In fact, the utensils used in matcha is extremely expensive so we were really grateful to have this experience with Makoto-san. Do check out her instagram because it is so wholesome and filled with many photos of the tourists and travellers she has made friends with. They also have a lovely cat which I took a glorious photo of besides a glass of wine... Also I would like to thank Makoto for having AMAZING children and teaching me how to play Speed. I want to meet them again!!!! Thank you Makoto-san !!! Arigatou !!! <3

Published on Dec, 2019

I have now attended two of the classes run by Kamada Makoto, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. She hosts the class in her home, so I was able to cook Japanese food in a Japanese home. Her English is amazing, so there is no need to worry if you do not understand Japanese. Highly recommended for people who want an accessible look at Japanese food and culture.