Sake Tasting or a Sushi Class in Tokyo?

Many visitors arrive in Tokyo with two food wishes on the same list: learn something about sushi, and finally understand sake. It is tempting to book both separately, or to assume that any sushi class will double as a sake lesson. In practice, the formats are built for different goals. This guide compares three ways of meeting sake on a Tokyo trip, so you can pick the one that matches what you actually want to learn.

Start with the question you want answered

Before comparing formats, decide which of these sentences sounds most like you:

• "I want to taste several sakes side by side and learn how they differ."
• "I want to make sushi with my own hands, and sake is part of the atmosphere."
• "I want a special occasion where the food and the sake are both the focus."

The first sentence points to a dedicated tasting. The second points to a hands-on sushi class. The third points to a private session built around premium ingredients. None of them is the "correct" choice. The mistake is booking the second when you really wanted the first, or the other way round.

Option 1: A dedicated sake tasting

A tasting bar, brewery visit or guided flight exists to compare sake. You usually sit with several small glasses, taste them in order and hear about rice polishing, brewing styles, temperature and region. If your goal is to go home knowing what junmai or ginjo means on a label, this is the most direct route.

What a tasting usually does not include is cooking. You may get snacks or a small pairing plate, but you will not shape rice or learn to handle fish. A tasting also lasts longer if you add travel to a brewery outside central Tokyo, so check the location, the total time and whether the session is offered in English before you commit.

Option 2: A shared sushi class with a sake toast

Our signature Sushi & Matcha class in Asakusa is a 90-minute hands-on class. Sake appears near the start, as a traditional Japanese toast (kagami-biraki) with a recommended local sake, and refills are free throughout the class. Then the focus moves to the counter: you prepare sushi rice, shape nigiri, roll maki, eat what you made and finish by whisking your own matcha.

That makes the sake part social and relaxed rather than a structured lesson. You will enjoy a local sake with your sushi, but you will not compare a flight of styles or take tasting notes. For many travellers that is exactly right: one booking covers a meal, a skill and a toast, and the rest of the day stays free for Senso-ji or the riverside.

If some people in your group do not drink, the class still works. Water and Japanese green tea are available, and our guide to joining a sushi class without drinking alcohol explains how to mention it when booking. Everything included in the ticket price is listed in our guide to what a Tokyo sushi class includes.

Option 3: A private premium session with a three-sake tasting

The Private Premium Omakase is a different product. It is a private session for your group, priced per group, and it includes a guided tasting of three selected sake varieties with amuse-bouche, alongside premium ingredients and a matcha finish with wagashi. Here sake is a planned part of the experience, not only a toast.

This format suits a celebration or a small group that wants both the food and the drinks to feel special. It is not a substitute for a brewery tour: the three sakes are chosen for the session rather than taught as a full course. Our comparison of premium omakase and a sushi-making class explains the other differences, including group size and price.

A quick comparison

Use the table as a starting point. Always check the current booking page for the date you want, because times and availability change.

Can you combine them in one day?

Yes, and the order matters. A 90-minute sushi class with a sake toast is a comfortable morning or midday activity. A dedicated tasting fits better later in the day, when you have nothing else timed afterwards. Doing the tasting first and then trying to shape rice with care is not a good plan, and you will enjoy the class more with a clear head.

If you do both, you will also notice different things. The class shows how sake feels next to food you made. The tasting teaches you the vocabulary. Our beginner's guide to pairing sake and sushi sits nicely between the two, and is worth reading before either.

Practical points before you book

• Age. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. Younger participants can join the sushi class and drink water or tea instead.
• Health or medication. If you should not drink, do not feel you need to join the toast. Just choose a non-alcoholic drink.
• Dietary needs. Mention allergies and other requirements in the booking, and contact us first for anything severe.
• Cancellation. Read the cancellation terms on the booking page before paying, especially if you are planning several bookings around the same day.

Which one should you choose?

Choose a dedicated tasting if the sake itself is the reason you are going. Choose the shared sushi class if you want to learn a Japanese food skill and enjoy local sake as part of the experience. Choose the private premium session if you are celebrating and want both elements to feel curated.

If making sushi is the priority and sake is a bonus, the signature Sushi & Matcha class is the simplest place to start. Check the live availability for your date and add any drink or dietary notes when you book.