Hida Countryside Home Cooking Class
- Cuisine
- Culture
- Family
- Hidden gems
Overview
Escape to Hida’s countryside and learn home-style Japanese cooking in a local family kitchen.
Welcomed into a local home, you will prepare a full menu that reflects the heart of Hida cuisine: delicate dashi broth, savoury ajigohan (seasoned rice), silky matcha jelly, tender koroimo potatoes, spinach dressed with nutty egoma, comforting miso soup, and lightly fried eggplant. Your instructor shares stories of family recipes, local customs, and rural life as you cook. With a calm pace, clear English guidance, and only a handful of guests, this is both a cooking lesson and an honest window into countryside Japan.
Suggested itinerary
Arrive at Hida Furukawa Station by 10:00. A member of the team greets you on the platform and drives you a short distance into the countryside. As you leave the town behind, rice fields open up, and you get a first glimpse of the quiet rhythms of rural Hida.
Upon arrival to the family home where the class is held, over a brief introduction, your host presents the day’s menu and ingredients, explaining how simple, seasonal cooking has shaped life in Hida. You receive an apron and an overview of the flow of the class.
Begin with the essentials. Learn how to prepare a clear, balanced dashi using traditional ingredients, understanding aroma, clarity, and umami. Use this base and selected seasonings to start the ajigohan, layering flavour into the rice before it steams.
Then, prepare koroimo potatoes with a gently sweet, glossy finish; dress spinach with fragrant egoma for a nutty, delicate side; and fry eggplant to a soft, savoury texture that absorbs just the right amount of flavour. Your host guides each step so you can recreate these dishes confidently at home.
Return to the dashi to build a balanced miso soup - careful not to boil, mindful of salinity and depth. Adjust seasoning across the menu, check the ajigohan, and refine presentation so every dish feels both homely and considered.
Gather around the table to enjoy your full Hida-style meal: ajigohan, miso soup, koroimo, spinach with egoma, fried eggplant, and matcha jelly for a clean, gentle finish. As you eat, there is space to talk about daily life, farming, festivals, and how these dishes fit into the rhythm of the region. Take photos of the dishes and kitchen if you wish, and note down tips to adapt recipes to your own pantry.
In the end, your host takes you back to Hida Furukawa Station, leaving you with both recipes and a genuine sense of connection to rural Japan.
Important information
What is included
- Small-group or private cooking class (max. 6 participants)
- English-speaking local host
- All ingredients for the full set menu
- Use of apron and basic kitchen tools
- Round-trip transfer between Hida Furukawa Station and the home
- Guidance and recipe notes to recreate dishes at home
What is not included
- Transportation to/from Hida Furukawa Station (e.g. from Takayama)
- Additional beverages or items not specified
- Personal travel insurance
- Menu is traditionally meat-free
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