Sushi Making Class Shinjuku (Cooking Sun)

Cooking Sun's sushi-making class in Shinjuku is a 2.5-hour hands-on course held at the school's kitchen in western-central Tokyo, teaching participants to prepare sushi rice, apply basic knife technique to fresh fish, and hand-roll multiple sushi varieties from start to finish. Cooking Sun has operated classes in the Shinjuku area for years and has developed a reputation specifically among English-speaking visitors for structured sushi instruction that prioritizes understanding technique over producing a photogenic result.

The session opens with sushi rice preparation — widely considered the most critical and most often underestimated component of quality sushi. Participants learn the correct ratio of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt for the seasoning mixture (awase-zu), the technique of folding rather than stirring the dressing through freshly cooked short-grain rice to avoid breaking the grains, and the proper cooling method using a fan (uchiwa) to achieve the glossy, lightly separated texture that professional sushi rice requires. Rushing or over-mixing at this stage is the most common error, and the instructor demonstrates the tactile difference between correctly and incorrectly prepared rice.

Knife skills follow, covering how to slice different fish varieties — typically salmon, tuna (maguro), and yellowtail (hamachi) — to the appropriate thickness for nigiri versus maki rolls, how to angle the blade to preserve grain structure, and how to handle fish to maintain freshness between preparation and serving. Participants then prepare ten to fifteen pieces of sushi each, spanning nigiri (hand-pressed over a rice pillow), futomaki (thick multi-ingredient rolls), temaki (hand-rolled cones), and cucumber or vegetable rolls as a plant-based component. All prepared pieces are eaten immediately at the close of the session with green tea and light accompaniments.

The instructor also covers practical guidance on sourcing sushi-grade fish outside Japan, what freshness indicators apply in overseas supermarkets and fish counters, and which varieties hold well for home preparation. Groups are kept small throughout to ensure the knife-handling and rolling sections receive individualized attention. Vegetarian sushi curricula are available with 48 hours advance notice, replacing fish with seasonal vegetables, pickled ingredients, and tofu.