Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel (Nakamura Ward, Nagoya; General Manager Atsushi Sugimoto) is holding a Parent-Child Japanese Cooking Class on Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, 2026, at KYOTO TSURUYA, the hotel's Japanese restaurant on the 18th floor.
Guided by the restaurant's head chef, participants learn how to draw out authentic dashi stock and the basics of Japanese-style plating. Children who fill in a special worksheet during the session can turn it into their summer vacation independent study project, learning Japanese food culture together with their parents.
Participants taste and compare the "umami" drawn out from kelp, bonito, and tuna flakes, and try their hand at plating Japanese dishes in uniquely shaped serving vessels. A meal follows the class, giving families a chance to eat and learn together.
Parent-Child Japanese Cooking Class
Dates: Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, 2026
Schedule:
- Part 1 — Cooking class (dashi tasting, Japanese plating experience): 3:30 PM
- Part 2 — Meal (Obon-season family kaiseki course): 5:30 PM
Price: ¥8,000 per group (up to one adult plus two elementary-school-age or younger children; includes the class and the meal)
Souvenir: One "KYOTO TSURUYA Warabi Mochi" and one "Bonito Flake and Kelp Set" per person
- An additional adult may join for ¥8,000 per person.
- If a group brings three or more elementary-school-age or younger children, each child from the third onward is ¥5,000.
- A group of one adult and one elementary-school-age child is also charged the ¥8,000 group price, with a meal portion for each participant.
- A chef's hat and apron are included in the program; guests may also bring their own apron.
Cooking Class Content
Dashi tasting
Participants taste dashi made separately from kelp, bonito flakes, and tuna flakes, as well as "ichiban dashi," a combination of kelp and bonito flakes, comparing how the flavor and umami change between the single-ingredient stocks and the combined one.
The chef also explains the science behind why the combined dashi tastes far more umami-rich than either ingredient alone.
Japanese plating experience
Using uniquely shaped serving vessels, participants learn how leaving deliberate empty space on a plate brings out the color of seasonal ingredients.
The experience covers arranging dishes around the five traditional colors of Japanese cuisine (red, yellow, green, black, and white) and adding seasonal garnishes for a layered, three-dimensional presentation, letting each participant style their own kaiseki-style dish.
Hotel staff help with photos during the class, and filling in the special worksheet completes the child's summer vacation independent study project. Children who take part in the class through to the end receive a "Junior Head Chef" certificate. Each family also takes home a bonito flake and kelp set to recreate what they learned at home, along with a "KYOTO TSURUYA Warabi Mochi," a popular item from the "Croche" gift shop.
After the class, families can enjoy a family kaiseki course that includes the appetizer they plated themselves.
Head Chef Motoi Uegaki, KYOTO TSURUYA
Japanese cuisine carries a respect for seasonal ingredients, care in presentation, and a spirit of hospitality toward guests. Through this cooking class, participants can enjoy the process of cooking with their own hands while discovering the depth and appeal of Japanese food. It would be a pleasure if the experience sparks children's interest in food and gives families a reason to cook together at home.
During the Obon season (Saturday, August 8, through Sunday, August 16), KYOTO TSURUYA is also serving an Obon-season family kaiseki course at dinner, presented on large shared platters so families can enjoy the dishes together.
Obon-season family kaiseki course (¥8,000 per person)
Menu:
- Assorted appetizers (shared platter)
- Assorted sashimi (shared platter)
- Clear soup
- Assorted tempura (shared platter)
- Grilled dish
- Hand-rolled sushi (shared platter)
- Dessert
Reservations
KYOTO TSURUYA, 18th floor, Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel
Tel: 052-584-1104
Reservations can be made through the hotel's official website: https://www.associa.com/nma/restaurant/tsuruya/
