Taste Japan differently.
KIKI KOJI LAB｜利麹LAB
You have probably tasted koji many times in Japan — in miso, in soy sauce, in sake, in
amazake.
But have you ever seen it? Smelled it? Tasted the difference for yourself?
In a small kitchen in Tokyo, meet koji — the quiet force behind those flavours.
See. Smell. Taste. Compare. Discover.
- Jingumae, Tokyo
- About 2 hours
- 1–4 guests
¥31,000 per person
Book this experience →You just may not know it yet.
You’ve tasted miso.
You’ve dipped sushi in soy sauce.
Perhaps you’ve tried sake.
Koji has been there each time, quietly shaping flavours you now think of as Japanese.
At KIKI KOJI LAB, you finally get to meet it. Not through a screen. Not only through explanation. You see it, smell it, touch it and taste it.
Two amazake.
One question.
Two small glasses are placed in front of you.
They begin with the same rice.
They are made in the same way.
But they don’t taste the same.
Taste first. Discover why.
Tasting is not about getting the answer right.
In Japanese, kiki (利き) is the word used for tasting — as in kikizake, the tasting of sake.
It is not about guessing correctly.
It is about noticing.
A difference in aroma.
A change in sweetness.
A hint of acidity.
A texture you had not registered before.
At KIKI KOJI LAB, you slow down enough to notice those differences — and begin to understand what koji can do.
The tasting is only the beginning.
From there, meet different kinds of koji, discover how they differ, and see how koji becomes part of everyday Japanese food.
- SEE
Meet koji in forms you may never have seen before.
- SMELL
Each one carries a different aroma.
- TASTE
Two amazake, side by side.
- COMPARE
Same rice. Same method. Different result.
- DISCOVER
Find out what is happening behind the flavour.
A small, hands-on experience in Tokyo.
This experience takes place in a small kitchen in Jingumae, Tokyo.
With only one to four guests, there is time to look closely, taste slowly, ask questions, and follow whatever you find interesting.
You are not watching Japanese food culture from a distance.
You are sitting at the table with it.
Learn in Tokyo.
Make it at home.
Before you leave, you are given Japanese dried rice koji to take home, together with a guide in English.
Back in your own kitchen, you can use it to make amazake yourself.
The flavour you discovered in Tokyo becomes something you can make again — wherever you live.
- Tokyo
- →
- Dried rice koji
- →
- Your kitchen
- →
- Amazake
More than a souvenir.
- Japanese dried rice koji
- Your own KIKI tasting notes
- The KIKI KOJI LAB guide, in English
- A recipe to continue at home
A new way of tasting Japanese food.
You don’t need to know anything about fermentation.
No background in cooking, science or fermentation is required. Come curious.
If you like asking why something tastes the way it does — or wondering what is happening inside the food in front of you — KIKI KOJI LAB was made for that kind of curiosity.
KIKI KOJI LAB｜利麹LAB
Taste. Compare. Discover.Meet different kinds of koji through your senses, and discover how they shape flavour.
UMAMI & KOJI LAB
Make. Observe. Grow.Go inside the process of koji making — from inoculating steamed rice with tane-koji to observing the finished koji up close.
Two different experiences. Two ways into the world of koji.
KIKI KOJI LAB｜利麹LAB
| Location | Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo. The exact address is sent after booking. |
|---|---|
| Duration | About 2 hours |
| Guests | 1–4 guests. Single travellers are welcome. |
| Price | ¥31,000 per person, tax included |
| Language | Hosted by Chie in simple English, with an English KIKI KOJI LAB guide provided throughout the experience. |
| Take home | Japanese dried rice koji, your KIKI tasting notes, and the English guide |
| Dates | Arranged around you. Send two or three dates that would suit your stay. |
¥31,000 per person