Thursday 29 October11:00–13:00
TOKYO KOJI EXPERIENCE｜KIKI KOJI LAB
¥31,000 per person, tax included
Confirmed ・ 1 seat left
Hosted by Chie in simple English. No interpreter or assistant on this day.
LESSONS One day, one subject,
One day, one subject,
made with your own hands.
Our lessons are not demonstrations. You make the thing, you take it home, and you leave knowing how to make it again. Four people at a time, in a kitchen in Jingumae, Tokyo.
- Small groups · max 4 guests
- Beginners welcome
- Nothing to bring
What you can choose
TASTE · COMPARE · DISCOVER
KIKI KOJI LAB｜利麹LAB
Two hours on koji, through your senses. See, smell and taste different kinds of koji side by side, and find the differences yourself. Small group of up to four guests, hosted by Chie in simple English. You take Japanese dried rice koji home and make it again in your own kitchen. Includes the &LAB TOKYO Signature Lunch.
Details and prices → MAKE · TAKE HOME
MISO UMAMI LAB
Two hours, making miso. Mix rice koji, soybeans and salt by hand and pack your own miso to take home, labelled in English. Small group of up to four guests, hosted by Chie in simple English. It keeps maturing at home after your trip. This workshop uses soybeans. Includes the &LAB TOKYO Signature Lunch.
Details and prices → OUR SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
UMAMI & KOJI LAB
About four hours on koji and umami. Sow koji onto steamed rice by hand, look at koji mold under a microscope, taste koji made with different molds, and make ama-koji and koji seasonings. Private to your group, with an English-speaking assistant throughout. Includes the &LAB TOKYO Signature Lunch.
Details and prices →Dates already confirmed
These days are going ahead, and there is room to join. If none of them fit your stay, tell us two or three days that would and we will open one for you.
Book this date →
21-23 November11:00–17:00
The Fermentation Alchemist Course｜Basic + Advance (3-day intensive)
¥216,600 per person, tax included, English support included
Confirmed ・ 1 seat left
An English-speaking assistant is with us on all three days. The price shown is for one guest using the assistant — if a second guest joins the same dates, we share the assistant's fee between you and refund you the difference. You can also carry on to the full six days (7–9 December). If you are thinking of Hakko Soka®, our professional certification, please ask us.
26-28 November11:00–17:00
The Fermentation Alchemist Course｜Basic + Advance (3-day intensive)
¥186,600 per person, tax included, English support included
Confirmed ・ 1 seat left
The last of three places — you would join two other guests. An English-speaking assistant is with us on all three days, and the fee is already shared three ways.
26 April - 1 May 202711:00–17:00
The Fermentation Alchemist Course｜the full programme (6 days)
¥378,900 per person, tax included, English support included
Confirmed ・ 1 seat left
The price shown is for one guest using the English assistant — if a second guest joins the same dates, we share the assistant's fee between you and refund you the difference.
Would another date suit you better?
We do not keep a fixed timetable — each session is arranged around the dates our guests give us. Send two or three days that would work during your stay and we will confirm one. Groups of three or more are welcome.
Ask about other dates →For guests from overseas
The three koji experiences above are made for guests visiting Japan. Choose by what you want to do, not by level; none of them needs experience.
- KIKI KOJI LAB and MISO UMAMI LAB — small-group classes of up to four guests, which you may share with other guests (private bookings on request). Hosted by Chie in simple English; KIKI KOJI LAB comes with a printed guide in English. An English-speaking assistant can be added on request at least 7 days ahead, for an additional fee
- UMAMI & KOJI LAB — private to your group. English-speaking support staff, at home in koji, work alongside Chie for the full session. Included in the price
Our other lessons and courses are taught in Japanese, and can also be joined in simple English. English support can be arranged for those — ¥10,000 for a single lesson, or ¥15,000 per day for our courses (¥12,000 per day if you ask three months or more in advance), all tax included. Please ask at least one month before your preferred date, so that the materials can be prepared and the assistant booked.
Booking
- There is no fixed timetable. Tell us two or three dates that suit you and we will confirm one.
- The studio is in Jingumae, Shibuya-ku — walking distance from Gaienmae, Omotesando, Sendagaya and Kokuritsu-Kyogijo stations. We send the exact address once your booking is confirmed.
- Aprons, ingredients and tools are provided.
- Please tell us about any food allergies or dietary requirements when you book. Our kitchen uses a wide range of ingredients, including soy, nuts, sesame and fermented seasonings. Although nuts may not be used in your class menu, they are handled in the same kitchen.
- Bookings close 5 days before for KIKI KOJI LAB and MISO UMAMI LAB, and 4 days before for UMAMI & KOJI LAB. For UMAMI & KOJI LAB, if your date is less than two weeks away, please ask us first — the English-speaking assistant has to be arranged, and there are dates when we cannot.
Fees
| KIKI KOJI LABPer person · about 2 hours · Signature Lunch included | ¥31,000Tax included · ¥28,000 each for 2 or more guests |
|---|---|
| MISO UMAMI LABPer person · about 2 hours · Signature Lunch included | ¥31,000Tax included · ¥28,000 each for 2 or more guests |
| UMAMI & KOJI LABPer person, depends on group size · about 4 hours · Signature Lunch included | From ¥65,000Tax included · English support included |
| English supportFor our Japanese-language lessons and courses | ¥10,000〜¥10,000 for a single lesson · ¥15,000 per day for courses (¥12,000 if requested three months ahead) · tax included |
- All three experiences are priced per person, tax included. UMAMI & KOJI LAB depends on group size — see its own page.
- English support for our Japanese-language lessons is ¥10,000 for a single lesson, or ¥15,000 per day for our courses (¥12,000 per day if requested three months or more in advance), all tax included. It must be requested at least one month before the date.
- For the three-day classes of the Fermentation Alchemist Course, we recommend booking English support — the koji work runs across all three days, and the reasons behind each step are worth hearing in full.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need cooking experience?
No. These lessons are designed for people doing this for the first time. We work slowly and explain as we go.
What should I bring?
Nothing. Aprons, ingredients and tools are all provided. Come in clothes you can move in.
Can the lesson be taught in English?
Our koji experiences are made for guests visiting Japan. KIKI KOJI LAB and MISO UMAMI LAB are hosted by Chie in simple English; an English-speaking assistant can be added on request at least 7 days ahead. UMAMI & KOJI LAB includes English-speaking support staff in its price. Our other lessons and courses are taught in Japanese and can be joined in simple English, with fuller English support available at ¥10,000 for a single lesson or ¥15,000 per day for courses (¥12,000 if requested three months or more in advance), all tax included — please ask at least one month before your preferred date.
Can I continue after a koji experience?
Yes. Certification courses and continuing classes are available for anyone who wants to go further.