AKEMI’s SUSHiKiTCHEN Review: My 2025 Tokyo Sushi Making Experience

Honestly, just eating amazing sushi in Tokyo is a top-tier experience. You kind of get the feeling, after your fifth plate of unbelievable otoro, that you want to get closer to the process. For instance, what truly goes into making it? I mean, I wanted to try my own hand at this incredible food art. So, after a bit of looking around for a class that felt right, I found AKEMI’s SUSHiKiTCHEN, which pretty much looked perfect. As a matter of fact, it appeared to be a really personal and authentic-seeming spot. It just had this reputation for being very hands-on, you know? Anyway, this is the story of my afternoon there, which was actually one of the highlights of my whole trip to Japan. Seriously.

First Impressions: Finding a Slice of Home in Tokyo

Frankly, finding the studio was a little adventure in itself. The place is actually tucked away on a quiet residential street, so it’s pretty far from the tourist-heavy spots. This actually makes it feel quite special, you know? Like you’ve found a secret. Well, when I walked in, the feeling of calm was almost instant. The room was, you know, just so warm and filled with the gentle scent of hinoki wood and a slight tang of rice vinegar. Okay, it wasn’t a massive, shiny professional kitchen; instead, it felt more like stepping into a friend’s beautiful, clean home kitchen. As I was saying, Akemi-san, our teacher, greeted us with an incredibly genuine smile. Actually, her warm welcome just immediately put everyone at ease. Clearly, the small group size, just four of us, suggested this was going to be a very personal session. That sort of setup is, I mean, way better than a big, impersonal class.

The Heart of Sushi: Mastering the Perfect Rice (Shari)

So, we started with what Akemi called the soul of sushi. Obviously, this was the rice, or *shari*. She explained that you can have the best fish in the world, yet with bad rice, you really have bad sushi. To be honest, I’d never given the rice that much thought before. Akemi, you know, showed us how to wash the Japanese short-grain rice. You have to be gentle, actually, until the water runs almost completely clear. Next, we learned about the seasoning, the *sushi-zu*, a mix of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt that she had prepared.

“Basically,” Akemi said, holding up a wooden bowl, “the goal is for every grain to be a perfect little pillow. Lightly coated, never mushy, you know? So, you must cut and fold, never stir.”

I mean, her instructions were super clear. Following her lead, we used our wooden paddles to fold the vinegar mixture into the warm rice, just sort of fanning it at the same time to cool it down. It was almost a meditative action, you know? As a matter of fact, I could see the rice transforming, taking on a really pretty gloss. Honestly, the smell was just incredible. At the end of the day, I had a bowl of what was arguably the best-looking rice I had ever seen in my life.

The Art of the Cut: Preparing Fish Like a Pro

Now, with our rice cooling, we moved on to the fish, which, for many people, is sort of the main attraction. Akemi had laid out several blocks of incredibly fresh-looking fish; for instance, there was a deep red tuna (*maguro*), a pearly white sea bream (*tai*), and some bright orange salmon. She then introduced us to the *yanagiba*, a very long, thin knife used just for slicing sashimi and sushi toppings. Honestly, just holding it felt pretty serious. You could really tell this knife was a specialized tool.

Akemi’s demonstration was literally mesmerizing. With one single, long pull, she sliced a perfect piece of tuna. Seriously, there was no sawing back and forth. She explained that this clean cut protects the fish’s delicate texture, which is pretty much the whole point. Well, she then guided each of us. “Keep your wrist steady, and let the knife do the work, okay?” she would say. I was, you know, a bit clumsy at first. My first piece of tai was a little thick, sort of uneven. Yet with her patient correction, my next few slices were actually so much better. I mean, it’s really satisfying to glide a sharp knife through a beautiful piece of fish like that. At the end of the day, you get a new appreciation for the skill it takes.

Rolling and Pressing: Bringing It All Together

Alright, this was the moment we were all waiting for. Finally, it was time to combine our perfectly cooked rice and beautifully sliced fish into actual sushi. We were going to make two kinds: hand-pressed *nigiri* and classic *maki* rolls. Honestly, this part of the class was just a lot of fun. Everyone was kind of laughing at their first lopsided attempts.

Crafting Nigiri

First, we started with nigiri. Akemi showed us how to take a small amount of rice—just enough to fit in your palm, basically—and shape it into a neat little rectangle. I mean, the trick is to be firm but not too firm. You want the grains to stick together, you know, but not turn to mush. Next, she showed us how to swipe just a tiny dab of fresh wasabi onto the fish slice. Seriously, way less than you get in packets. Then, the magic part: gently pressing the fish onto the rice, sort of molding it all together with your fingers. My first few were, well, a little funny-looking. But after a few tries, I kind of got the rhythm. It’s a very delicate, personal process, actually.

Perfecting Maki Rolls

Next up were the maki rolls, which I always thought would be pretty hard. We each got a bamboo rolling mat (*makisu*). Akemi had us place a sheet of dark green *nori* seaweed, shiny-side down, on the mat. Then, you spread a thin, even layer of our sushi rice on top, leaving a little border at the far edge. We chose our fillings; for instance, I went with salmon and some cucumber. So, the key, as Akemi explained, is to tuck the edge of the mat over the fillings tightly as you start to roll. I mean, you have to apply steady pressure to get a nice, round shape. My first roll was, well, a little square. But my second one was actually so much better! To be honest, slicing it with the wet knife to get six perfect pieces was really, really satisfying.

The Grand Finale: Tasting Our Creations

I mean, after all our hard work, the best part was still to come. We all arranged our best-looking pieces of sushi onto beautiful Japanese platters. The sight of all that colorful sushi, you know, the stuff we made with our own hands, was just amazing. Akemi also served us some steaming bowls of homemade miso soup and some pickled ginger. So, we all sat down around the big wooden table. I mean, tasting that first piece of nigiri was a revelation. The rice was, you know, just slightly warm and perfectly seasoned. The fish was so fresh and tender. Obviously, everything just tasted so much better because of the effort we had put in. It wasn’t just food; frankly, it was a creation. We were all pretty much quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying the delicious results of our work.

What I Really Think and Some Key Points

This class was, frankly, more than just learning a recipe; it was a deep look into an important piece of Japanese culture. Akemi’s teaching is just so patient and encouraging. As a matter of fact, the hands-on nature of the class means you actually learn skills you can take home. It’s a completely different feeling from just watching a demonstration. The ingredients were all clearly of a very high quality, and the small class size made it feel so personal and special, you know? It’s pretty much an experience I would recommend to anyone visiting Tokyo, no matter your cooking skill level.

• You’ll quickly learn that the rice, or *shari*, is arguably the foundation of great sushi.
• This class is, you know, completely hands-on, so you’re not just watching from the sidelines.
• The very small group setup pretty much means you get a lot of personal guidance from Akemi.
• Basically, it is fantastic for any skill level, from people who burn toast to those who cook a lot.

Read our full review: [AKEMI’s SUSHiKiTCHEN Tokyo Sushi Class Full Review and Details]
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