Experience Half Day Japanese Washoku Cooking Lesson & Homestay / Washokuju-Sakura / Japan

How do you spend the end of year in your country? In Japan, we have so many things to prepare before New Year's day. ＜Oosoji (year-end cleaning)＞ It is tradiitonal to welcome the new year, by cleaning the house throroughly.  ＜Osechi (the special traditional cuisine for the New Year’s Day)＞ Usually, it takes 3 days to complete this Osechi . Now a days, most people buy Osechi at supermarket or department store.  I remember my mom and grandma cooked homemade Osechi in classic way and I loved it.  ＜Decolate home＞ We decolate Oshogatsu Kazari(which is decoration for New Year) in front of the gate and door.  “Kadomatsu”, two groups of bamboo to place in front of the entrance; “shimenawa”, a sacred straw rope to protect the door; and “kagamimochi, round, piled up mochi (rice cakes) to appreciate and eat as a token of wellbeing. decoration ＜Family gathering＞ The end of year and new year holiday is big to Japanese people...

What is the secret for your dish? 5 taste is consist of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. What is "umami"?  Umami is "Dashi". Dried bonito,Kelp,  Shiitake mushroom... each of them have umami elements for making soup stock. When they are combined together, the soup becomes very delicious! You can make various Japanese food with "Dashi". Dashi is very important as the base of delicious dishes. In Washokuju Sakura's class, you can learn about Dashi and how to use with Japanese cuisine. Let's cook together with Japanese mom, Yayoi! I am looking foward to seeing you!   <Japanese Cooking class ＆ Home stay "Washokuju Sakura"> We offer Japanese New Year cooking lessons  "Any Time New Year" program  every day! If you are interested in cooking and Japanese culture, please join us! ■Location: Seki city, Gifu. (Approx. 2 hours from Nagoya) ■Inquiry ＆ Reservation: please check our  website .

On Nov.9th, Washokuju Sakura celebrated our 1st Anniversary! I would like to thank to all my guests and my family, friends ,and the people involved. Thinking back this year, it's been amazing having wonderful guests and introduced by TV and newspaper!  Hope to meet more guests next year! <Japanese Cooking class ＆ Home stay "Washokuju Sakura"> We offer Japanese New Year cooking lessons  "Any Time New Year" program  every day! If you are interested in cooking and Japanese culture, please join us! ■Location: Seki city, Gifu. (Approx. 2 hours from Nagoya) ■Inquiry ＆ Reservation: please check our  website .

When you are in Japan, aren't you tired of busy city? Washokuju Sakura is located in Seki city. Seki is in the center of Gifu Prefecture.  Gifu is called belly of Japan.  Our Town Seki is famous for knives, cutlery, Japanese swords and Oze-Comorant Fishing, which is a traditional fishing method. We also have the beautiful Nagara river and lots of mountains. Quiet atmosphere is great to relax. Please come and visit Sakura and enjoy Seki city's attractions. <Japanese Cooking class ＆ Home stay "Washokuju Sakura"> We offer Japanese New Year cooking lessons " Any Time New Year " program every day! If you are interested in cooking and Japanese culture, please join us! ■Location: Seki city, Gifu. (Approx. 2 hours from Nagoya) ■Inquiry ＆ Reservation: please check our website .

We had a guest from U.S.A and left a comment after taking "Any time New Year" cooking class! " This lesson was very interesting and fun to learn! I wan to come back soon!" Thank you, Augie! It was his first time cooking Japnese food and he even tried Kazarigiri (decorative cut) and came out great! I had a lot of fun having you! Please come back any time! <Japanese Cooking class ＆ Home stay "Washokuju Sakura"> We offer Japanese New Year cooking lessons  "Any Time New Year" program  every day! If you are interested in cooking and Japanese culture, please join us! ■Location: Seki city, Gifu. (Approx. 2 hours from Nagoya) ■Inquiry ＆ Reservation: please check our  website .

“Osechi” is one of “Washoku” traditional Japanese cuisine. “Washoku” was added to UNESCO’s Intangilbe Cultural Heritage list in 2013. “Osechi” is the special traditional dish for the New Year’s Day. We also call it “osechi-ryori”. Its dishes are packed beautifully in layers of lacquer boxes called “jubako”. The kinds of osechi-ryori dishes prepared at Japanese homes vary from region to region. Traditionally people finish preparing osechi dishes by New Year’s Eve so that they have food for a couple of days. Each dish that makes up osechi-ryori has a special meaning such as good luck, happiness , health, wealthy, long life, good harvest, prosperity, and so on. 　For example, prawns represent long life, kuromame(cooked sweet black beans) mean health, tazukuri(sweet fried sardines) to a good harvest and kurikinton(sweet chestnuts and mashed sweet potato) to happiness. You can cook and eat this "Osechi-Ryori" in Washokujyu Sakura anytime of the year! If you are planning you...

As Japanese every day lives are westernizing, New years’ celebration is one of the most traditional Japanese ways that still remain. Join our “Any Time New Year” program which you can experience the Japanese traditional New Year celebration with cooking and lecture throughout the year! If you want little bit more than sightseeing, this program is great for you. Just half day "Any Time New Year"program will make your trip memorable! <Japanese Cooking class ＆ Home stay "Washokuju Sakura"> We offer Japanese New Year cooking lessons  "Any Time New Year" program  every day! If you are interested in cooking and Japanese culture, please join us! ■Location: Seki city, Gifu. (Approx. 2 hours from Nagoya) ■Inquiry ＆ Reservation: please check our  website .