Wakana was a wonderful host for my Japanese culture experience. Because I had a particular interest in tea ceremony she arranged a private lesson with Besui Sensei, who was phenomenally gracious! Sensei’s daughter also assisted and demonstrated. I felt so honored that Sensei was so willing to patiently share her decades of knowledge to a mere novice patiently answering my many questions. I was humbled and thrilled!

The day continued with a cooking class in noodle making and omelets. It was great fun to learn how easy noodle making can be. She is a very patient teacher. Thank goodness! I had so much fun with the omelet lesson that I bought the special pan so I could make it for my family.

Yes it’s fun to tour a country but it’s even more memorable to delve into the culture. Next time I want to try calligraphy. Wakana has been practicing the art for years. Thank you for an unforgettable day!

Wakana very kindly made time to see us as we were at the end of our holiday and I desperately wanted to do a Japanese calligraphy class. It was a lovely experience and Wakana is very thorough in explaining the different Japanese styles of writing, how to hold your brush etc. I would highly recommend Wakana for a true Japanese cultural experience.

If there was one experience in Japan that I felt like I gained the most from, it was this one! Wakana is such a sweet person to be around, and my wife and I both felt like we connected with her over the course of the experience. Not only did Wakana teach us how to make homemade Udon Zaru style, she also taught us Japanese Calligraphy. There were a couple things I learned about both of these as a bonus: 1. Zaru Udon is just as good if not better tasting than Zaru Soba (which is my favorite style of Japanese cuisine) and 2. I learned a lot about Japanese language and grammar from Wakana in the process of picking which word to paint. My favorite part about it was spending time in a Tokyo home, with someone who knows Tokyo and the culture so well, and just feeling like I was hanging out with a really cool Japanese girl in her home environment. We talked about travel, and food, and the "always improving" mastery culture that is well known in Japan. By the end, this experience made me feel like I was reunited with a really awesome family member in her home. Highly recommend this experience to anyone!