AirKitchen is a Tokyo-based startup that offers vegan cooking classes in locals’ homes across Japan. The service is similar to Airbnb, enabling Japanese hosts to register their home-cooking classes that users can then book online. Being vegan should not detract from your experience of Japanese culture and cuisine, and you can learn how to make vegan ramen, sushi, shojin ryori, and more through airKitchen!

No Japanese language ability is needed, as all hosts speak some degree of English. AirKitchen experiences go beyond just cooking, but also sharing an intimate cultural exchange experience with your Japanese host – if you’re not Japanese, of course. Plus, you’ll gain Japanese vegan cooking skills and knowledge to bring home with you!

How to Book an airKitchen Cooking Class

1. Browse class listings near you on the airKitchen website. You can filter for vegan and vegetarian classes, or use the search function to find veg-friendly classes.
2. When you find a class you’re interested in, send a booking request to the host through the website.
3. Once the host accepts your booking request, they will meet you at the train station closest to them or at their home on the reservation date.
4. During the class, you’ll learn how to cook their specialty and then enjoy the meal together!

▼Tokyo vegan cooking classes: https://airkitchen.me/list/tokyo/vegan.php

▼Osaka vegetarian cooking classes (many vegan-friendly): https://airkitchen.me/list/osaka/category/vegetarian/

▼Kyoto vegetarian cooking classes (many vegan-friendly): https://airkitchen.me/list/kyoto/category/vegetarian/

airKitchen website: https://airkitchen.me/

Sofie, from Sweden, wrote about her airKitchen vegan omurice cooking class:

“Cooking with Naoki was very fun! We met up at the nearest station and walked for about 10 minutes to Naoki’s home, a traditional Japanese apartment, where we felt very welcome. Naoki is definitely a generous host. Naoki didn’t speak english and we knew next to no Japanese, but thanks to Akiko, who joined us, we were able to have a lot of fun cooking and have great conversations. We learned a lot of interesting things about vegan cooking and being vegan in Japan. It was fun comparing to how it is in our own country, Sweden. After cooking, some of Naoki’s friends joined us for dinner. All in all it was a very warm and fulfilling experience. Thank you very much!”