Christmas in Tokyo with a Sushi Class
If you are spending Christmas in Tokyo, the city may feel both familiar and unexpected. Streets are lit up, shops play Christmas songs and there are cakes in every bakery window, yet most people go to work as normal on 25 December. For visitors, that means many shops and sights keep their usual schedules, although it is worth checking each place before you go. Our studio in Asakusa had sessions listed on both days.
This guide explains how Christmas works in Japan, what our booking calendar showed for 24 and 25 December 2026 when we wrote it, and three ways to fit a sushi class into a festive day.
Popular in Tokyo right now — our most recommended experience
Tokyo Sushi Making Class : Sake Ceremony & Matcha Experience in Asakusa
How Christmas works in Japan
Neither 24 nor 25 December is a national holiday in Japan. Check each attraction's regular closing days and the transport timetable for your visit.
The celebration itself is mostly secular and centres on Christmas Eve. Many couples treat 24 December as a date night, so popular restaurants book up early for that evening. Families often share a Christmas cake, typically a sponge cake with cream and strawberries, and fried chicken is a common Christmas meal. That habit dates back to a 1974 campaign by KFC Japan called "Kentucky for Christmas", which KFC describes as having started after a visitor said he could not find turkey in Japan.
The big family holiday in Japan is New Year, not Christmas. Many businesses close from around 31 December to 3 January, so the week after Christmas follows a different rhythm.
What our calendar showed for Christmas
When we checked our booking calendar on 3 November 2026, the signature sushi and matcha class had the following sessions:
- 24 December (Christmas Eve): 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00.
- 25 December (Christmas Day): 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 18:00.
Sessions were also listed on 23 and 26 December. The vegan menu is booked into the same signature sessions, so it follows the same schedule. Schedules can change and individual sessions can sell out, so treat this as a planning guide rather than a guarantee. The class page always shows the live sessions for your date.
What the class includes
The class lasts 90 minutes and is taught in English. You prepare sushi rice, shape nigiri and roll maki, eat everything you make, toast with sake (water or green tea is available instead) and finish by whisking your own bowl of matcha. Please arrive 10 minutes before the start. Because it is a full meal, the class can be your Christmas lunch or dinner.
Plan A: Christmas lunch, then the Marunouchi lights
- 12:00: take the class in Asakusa and make your own Christmas lunch.
- Afternoon: walk around Senso-ji and Nakamise, a few minutes from the studio.
- After dark: take the Ginza Line to Ginza Station and walk north to Marunouchi, near Tokyo Station, for the Marunouchi Illumination. According to Marunouchi.com, the 2026 edition runs from 12 November 2026 to 14 February 2027 along Marunouchi Naka-dori, with the lights on from 16:00 to 23:00, extended to midnight throughout December.
Ginza is close by, so you can add shopping or dinner there. Our Ginza and sushi class guide explains the route.
Plan B: an afternoon class and Skytree's Christmas market
- Morning: explore at your own pace.
- 14:00: take the class.
- Evening: go to Tokyo Skytree Town, about five minutes from Asakusa by train. Its Dream Christmas 2026 runs from 5 November to 25 December 2026 with gold illuminations and a Christmas market at the Sky Arena on the fourth floor. Check the market's opening hours before you go.
Our guide to Tokyo Skytree and a sushi class in one day covers the route and how much buffer to allow between the two.
Plan C: a Christmas Eve date for two
For a Christmas Eve date, choose an available evening session on 24 December. Sessions can fill up, so check the live calendar early. Make sushi side by side, toast with sake, then walk to the Sumida River for the view of the lit-up Skytree. Our page on sushi classes for couples and our romantic Tokyo date guide have more ideas.
The signature class is a shared class, so you will usually cook alongside other guests. If you want privacy for a special occasion, contact us about private formats and wait for a reply before you build plans around them.
Book early, but keep flexibility
Late December is a busy travel period, and many visitors have fixed dates. Booking early gives you the widest choice of session times. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before your class starts, and reschedule with the same notice. Within 24 hours, the full fee applies, and no-shows are not refunded. Our guide to cancelling or rescheduling explains what to send us.
Practical tips for a December day
- Dress in layers. Tokyo evenings in December are cold, but you will work with your hands at a counter indoors.
- Allow extra time for crowds near illuminations and stations in the evening, especially on 24 December.
- If you arrive or leave around Christmas with luggage, we have storage space at the studio.
- Our directions from Asakusa Station show the walk from each line.
Make sushi for Christmas
Choose your date, check the live sessions on the signature class page, and book the time that fits the rest of your festive plans.
Related Articles
Blind or Low Vision at a Tokyo Sushi Class
Blind or low vision and planning a sushi class in Tokyo? Which steps are tactile, what to ask about guides and guide dogs, and how to reach the studio.
Jet Lag in Tokyo: Which Day to Book a Class
Flying a long way to Tokyo? How jet lag affects a hands-on cooking class, which day of your trip works best, and when to choose a morning or later session.
Booking From Abroad: Tokyo Time Explained
Booking a Tokyo class from home? Learn why dates and times are in Japan time, how the date line affects arrival day and how to work out the 24-hour deadline.