Sushi-Making Class in Asakusa, with Vegan, Halal and Allergy Menus in Tokyo

Sushi looks simple and is not, which is the whole reason a class is worth doing. The rice is the hard part: how it is seasoned, how warm it should be when you shape it, and how much pressure your hand applies before it stops being sushi and becomes a compressed lump. In a hundred minutes you get taught that properly, then you make nigiri and rolled maki yourself, and then you sit down and eat the lot.

Instruction is in English and no experience is assumed. Most people in the room have never handled sushi rice, and the staff are used to that; the pace is slow enough that you are not just following along, and by the second or third piece you can feel what you are doing wrong.

The dietary range is what sets this class apart, and it is unusually genuine. Alongside the standard menu there are properly separate vegan and vegetarian menus, a halal menu, a gluten-free option, and an allergy menu that excludes meat, nuts, fruit and dairy — not a substitution improvised on the day but a version of the class designed for it. Two conditions apply, and the operator is firm about both: you must request the change when you book, and they cannot accommodate custom ingredient specifications. Ask on the day and the answer is no.

The studio is a three-minute walk from Asakusa Station, near Kaminarimon, which puts it inside a short stroll of Senso-ji and within sight of Skytree. Groups can be large but the tables are worked in small clusters, and the space is wheelchair accessible.

All ingredients and the meal itself are included. Nothing else is needed — turn up hungry and leave having learned a skill that survives the trip.