Yakitori Making Class in Tokyo: Our Hands-On Chicken Skewer Workshop Experience

Yakitori is one of the most iconic foods in Japan and easily one of my all-time favorites. It’s simple, comforting, and something I crave after a long day. You’ll find it everywhere, from casual neighborhood shops to busy counters packed with regulars.

For years, we’ve mostly just eaten yakitori and moved on. Order a few skewers, enjoy the meal, done. But every time, we found ourselves wondering how it’s actually made and what goes into turning something so simple into something that tastes that good.

So when we came across a yakitori making class in Shinjuku, it made sense to try it. A small, private setting led by a professional chef, where you actually learn, prep, grill, and taste your own skewers. It felt more like an experience than just another meal, which is exactly what we were looking for.

This guide walks through what the workshop was like, what stood out to us, whether it’s worth the price, and who this class is best for.

Quick Overview: This Yakitori Making Class at a Glance

Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo. It takes place inside a professional yakitori training space that also operates as a restaurant and is normally used to train future chefs.

Length: The full experience runs about 2.5 hours, which gives you time to learn, prep, grill, and eat.

Price: About $85 per person at the time of booking.

Language: The workshop can be done in Japanese or English. You can also choose a French-language option for an additional fee. If you select English or French, a staff member who speaks that language will be present throughout.

Group size: This is a completely private experience. For our session, the school cleared their schedule and hosted only us, with no other participants.

Skill level: The class is open to all skill levels. Beginners are very welcome, and because the chef also trains professional yakitori chefs, the workshop is equally interesting for more experienced home cooks.

Booking: A reservation is required, and the experience is booked through ByFood.

What Is Yakitori

Yakitori (焼き鳥) literally means “grilled chicken” in Japanese. It’s made by skewering different cuts of chicken and grilling them over charcoal, usually seasoned with either salt or a simple sauce.

You’ll find yakitori everywhere in Japan. Casual neighborhood shops, standing bars, train station spots, and sit-down restaurants all serve it.

What makes yakitori special isn’t complexity, it’s technique. Each cut of chicken is treated differently, from thigh and breast to skin and cartilage, and the grilling is done carefully to bring out the right texture and flavor.

In yakitori shops, chefs spend years learning how to break down a chicken properly, skewer it the right way, and control the heat of the grill. It’s everyday food in Japan, but it’s also taken very seriously.

What Makes Yakitori So Special

What makes yakitori special is how much attention goes into something that looks very simple. At its core, it’s just chicken on a skewer, but the details matter a lot.

Yakitori is usually seasoned one of two ways: shio (salt) or tare (sauce).

• Shio keeps things minimal and focuses on the natural flavor of the chicken.
• Tare is a soy-based sauce made with ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, and sake, brushed on during grilling so it slowly builds flavor as it cooks.

Beyond seasoning, there’s a lot happening that most people never see. The way the chicken is cut, how it’s skewered, the spacing between pieces, and how close it sits to the charcoal all affect the final result. Different parts of the chicken cook at different speeds, so timing and heat control are a big part of the craft.

That’s why yakitori chefs train for years. It’s not about adding more ingredients or doing anything flashy. It’s about repetition, consistency, and knowing exactly how to handle each skewer so it comes off the grill at the right moment.

Why We Chose This Yakitori Making Class in Tokyo

We wanted to try this class because we’ve always loved yakitori. We eat it a lot when we’re in Japan, and it’s one of those foods we always come back to.

This wasn’t about learning how to cook professionally or adding a skill to a resume. We were just curious about the food and wanted to learn more about it. Plus, I’ve always loved anything hands-on, and this felt like a good fit!

What stood out right away was the setting. When we arrived, there was a sign out front saying the space was reserved. Later on, we learned the location is normally used to train future yakitori chefs and also runs as a restaurant. For our experience, they closed it down completely. We had the whole place to ourselves, which made it feel very different from a typical class.

We could stop and ask questions, watch closely, and try things without feeling awkward or rushed. There was no pressure and no sense of being judged if something didn’t turn out perfectly. It felt more like being guided through the process than being taught in a classroom.

Going in, we thought we’d learn a few basics and grill some chicken. That was pretty much it. But we ended up learning a lot more than expected, especially about how yakitori is prepared and why certain steps matter.

Learning from a Professional Yakitori Chef in Tokyo

The chef running this workshop has been doing yakitori for over 40 years, and it shows right away. This is also the same space where he trains people who actually want to become yakitori chefs, so the way he teaches feels very real and very practical.

What surprised us was that it wasn’t just about cooking. We learned how yakitori shops actually work, how prep is done, how service flows, and what matters when you’re doing this every day, not just for fun. That part gave us a lot more context for the food and made everything click in a different way.

His teaching style was calm and straightforward. He explained things clearly, didn’t rush, and was happy to answer questions as they came up. Because the class was private, we could stop, watch closely, and try things at our own pace without feeling awkward.

It felt less like a cooking class and more like being shown how things actually work behind the scenes. We walked away with a much better understanding of yakitori, not just how it tastes, but how it’s made and why it’s done the way it is.

Step-by-Step: What Happens in This Yakitori Making Workshop

This covers the full experience, from learning and cooking to sitting down and eating at the end.

1. Introduction and setup: The workshop starts with a brief introduction in the space, followed by washing your hands, putting on an apron, and getting set up for the session. The chef then walks through how the workshop will go and explains the tools, the grill, and the different cuts of chicken you’ll be working with. This part is short but helpful, especially for understanding how yakitori is done in a real kitchen.

2. Chicken prep: Next, you move into prepping the chicken. The chef breaks down a whole chicken, demonstrates the cuts, and then has you try it yourself while explaining what to look for. This was one of the most eye-opening parts for us, since so much of yakitori happens before anything ever touches the grill.

3. Skewering: After that comes skewering. It looks simple, just putting chicken pieces onto a stick, but there’s a lot of intention behind how each piece is placed, spaced, and angled. The prep method is different depending on the cut. The chef explains these details as you work and adjusts things along the way if needed.

4. Grilling: Once the skewers are ready, you move to the charcoal grill. After the chef gets the grill and charcoal started, you season the chicken and learn how to manage heat and timing. You also learn the technique for dipping and brushing the skewers when making tare-seasoned yakitori. The chef stays nearby to give guidance and feedback, but you’re the one doing the grilling.

5. Eating and wrapping up: At the end, you sit down and eat what you’ve made. It’s relaxed and unstructured, with time to chat with the staff, ask questions, and talk through anything that came up during the workshop. Eating the skewers after going through the full process makes the experience feel complete. We really enjoyed this part and getting to know the staff on a more personal level.

What Stood Out to Us During the Workshop

What stood out most was how much of the experience went beyond cooking. While we were learning techniques and working through each step, there were a lot of conversations happening around how yakitori fits into daily life, work culture, and the rhythm of a yakitori shop.

The chef shared stories from his own career and talked openly about training future chefs. He explained what he looks for when teaching someone, how long it takes to really get comfortable with the craft, and why repetition matters so much. Hearing this while standing in the same space where he trains others made it feel very real.

We also appreciated how relaxed the environment was. The staff were welcoming, patient, and happy to talk with us. Because the workshop was private, conversations felt natural and unforced. We could ask questions as they came up, even ones that weren’t strictly about cooking.

By the end, it felt less like a class and more like spending time inside a working yakitori space and learning how things operate from the inside. That mix of food, culture, and real-world insight is what made the experience memorable for us.

If you enjoy learning how Japanese food is made behind the scenes, you might also like our experience at the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, where you can try traditional ramen-making techniques.

Who This Yakitori Making Class Is Best For

This workshop isn’t for everyone, and that’s actually a good thing. It’s best suited for people who enjoy understanding how things work, not just eating the final result.

If you’re curious about Japanese food culture and want to see what happens behind the counter at a yakitori shop, this experience makes a lot of sense. It’s especially good for food lovers who enjoy hands-on activities and like learning directly from someone with deep experience.

It’s also a great fit if you prefer quieter, more personal experiences. Because the workshop is private, there’s no group dynamic to navigate and no pressure to keep up with anyone else. You can move at your own pace, ask questions freely, and focus on the parts that interest you most.

That said, if your main goal is just to eat good yakitori and move on, this class isn’t necessary. You’ll get more out of it if you’re genuinely interested in the process, the culture, and the people behind the food, not just having a good chicken meal.

If you’re planning your trip around food, this workshop fits nicely alongside other hands-on and local experiences we’ve shared in our guide to 15 Things to Do in Tokyo for Food Lovers.

Is This Yakitori Making Class Worth the Price

At the time of booking, the workshop was about $85 per person. For a completely private experience and the amount of food you end up eating at the end, that felt reasonable to us.

The value here is about getting access to a space and a process you normally don’t see, and learning directly from a chef with decades of experience. Being able to prep, skewer, grill, and ask questions along the way is not something you get just by eating at a yakitori restaurant.

Would we do it again? Probably not, and that’s because it felt complete after one time. We learned what we wanted to learn and got a solid understanding of how yakitori is made.

That said, this place also trains chefs more formally, so if you’re someone who’s interested in going deeper, getting certified, or pursuing this professionally, there’s more here than what we personally needed. For us, the goal was to learn, try it ourselves, and understand the process, and this workshop delivered on that.

If you’re looking to mix this with other less touristy activities, we’ve rounded up more ideas in our guide to 47 Unique Things to Do in Tokyo.

Tips for Your Yakitori Making Workshop

Arrive early: Give yourself a bit of time to settle in, wash your hands, and get set up before the workshop starts. Punctuality matters, but it never feels strict or uncomfortable.

What to wear: Light, comfortable clothing is best. You’ll be prepping and grilling close to heat, and your clothes may pick up a bit of charcoal smell at the end.

Come hungry: You’ll be eating what you make, and it ends up being a full meal. This isn’t just a small tasting.

Ask questions: Because the experience is completely private, you can ask questions as they come up. The chef and staff are happy to explain both the cooking process and how yakitori shops actually operate.

Language expectations: The standard workshop is conducted in Japanese with English interpretation available. You can also pay extra to have the workshop conducted in French if you prefer.

Yakitori FAQ: Common Questions About Yakitori in Japan

Is yakitori always chicken?

Yes. “Tori” means chicken in Japanese, so yakitori is, by definition…grilled chicken. That includes many different parts of the bird, not just thigh or breast. Skin, neck, cartilage, and even kneecap are all commonly used. A big part of yakitori culture is using the whole bird thoughtfully.

What is yakitori sauce made of?

Yakitori sauce, called tare, is typically made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and chicken. It’s simmered and aged over time, and many shops continuously add to and reuse their sauce, which deepens the flavor.

Do you need cooking experience to join this class?

No cooking experience is required. You’re guided through every step, and the class works for complete beginners as well as people who already enjoy cooking and want more insight into yakitori.

Conclusion

This yakitori making class in Tokyo was a meaningful experience for us because it added context to a food we already enjoy. Learning in a real training space and spending time with a chef who has decades of experience gave us insight into how yakitori is prepared, taught, and served on a daily basis.

We left with a clearer understanding of the process and a lot more appreciation for the work that goes into yakitori behind the scenes.

This experience works well for travelers who enjoy hands-on learning and want to understand Japanese food culture beyond eating at restaurants. If you’re curious about how yakitori is made and want to learn directly from someone who has spent a lifetime doing it, this workshop is worth considering.