Learn Japanese Cuisine as a Whole
— Through Its Techniques and Culture
Where do I begin with Japanese cuisine?
Perhaps you’ve tried Japanese recipes, but feel there is more to understand.
Perhaps you want to learn Japanese cuisine more deeply, but don’t know where to begin.
Today, recipes are everywhere. But learning one recipe after another does not necessarily help you understand Japanese cuisine as a whole.
Because each recipe is only one part of a much bigger picture.
Build your map of Japanese cuisine.
Washoku Beyond Recipes is designed to help you see how Japanese cuisine fits together.
You explore Japanese cuisine step by step — from rice and soup to simmered, grilled, and dressed dishes.
Along the way, you learn not only how each dish is made, but the techniques, ingredients, presentation, and cultural context behind it.
Little by little, you build a map of Japanese cuisine in your mind.
With that map, a recipe is no longer just a set of instructions. You begin to understand what you are doing — and why.
See more in every dish.
As your understanding grows, the way you see Japanese cuisine begins to change. New knowledge connects to what you already know, and each new dish finds its place within a larger picture.
Take rice, for example. You discover its history and cultural significance in Japan, then learn how to wash and cook it properly.
You put that knowledge into practice by preparing dishes such as sushi, seafood rice bowls, and rice porridge — while also learning the techniques, traditions, and manners that surround them.
The more you learn, the clearer your map of Japanese cuisine becomes.
Learn at your own pace. Follow your own path.
Your journey begins with The Essence, which gives you a foundation for understanding Japanese cuisine.
From there, new courses will take you deeper into Rice, Soup, Simmered Dishes, Grilled Dishes, and more. As the program grows, you can choose the courses that interest you and continue building your own map of Japanese cuisine.
Each course combines video lessons with PDF materials, designed for self-paced learning.
Start your journey into Washoku.
THE ESSENCE
Coming in
December 2026
From essential techniques to cultural traditions and the art of Ichiju Sansai, discover what makes Washoku so much more than a collection of recipes.
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Naoyuki Yanagihara
In 2015, I boarded a plane to New Zealand with seven pieces of luggage, each almost as large as I was.
Inside were Japanese cooking utensils, lacquerware, ceramics, and other tools I would use to introduce Washoku to students abroad. I was traveling as a Cultural Envoy of the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, beginning a three-month journey to teach Japanese cuisine in New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.
I still remember how nervous I was before my first class in Auckland. Would people outside Japan really be interested in Washoku?
Principal & Executive Chef of KINSARYU
Yanagihara School of
Traditional Japanese Cuisine
But the moment I met my students, my anxiety began to disappear.
They listened with curiosity, asked thoughtful questions, and discovered something new in every dish, ingredient, and utensil. I realized that Japanese cuisine could open a door to something much larger: the culture, history, values, and way of seeing the world behind the food.
That experience deepened my desire to share Washoku with people around the world.
I believe Japanese culture is unique, beautiful, and deeply worth learning—not only for people from other countries, but for us Japanese as well. There is so much wisdom, beauty, and meaning embedded in the food we have inherited, yet we sometimes overlook it simply because it is so familiar to us.
This is why I have continued to teach and speak about Washoku both in Japan and abroad.
And now, I am very excited to begin a new chapter.
Washoku Beyond Recipes is my way of sharing what I have learned and loved throughout my journey—not simply recipes, but the knowledge, techniques, culture, and philosophy that give Washoku its depth and beauty.
I hope you will join me on this journey and discover the world of Washoku, one chapter at a time.
Naoyuki Yanagihara
About KINSARYU
KINSARYU traces its roots to the early 19th century, during Japan’s Edo period, with culinary knowledge and techniques passed down within the Yanagihara family through generations.
At its heart is a culinary philosophy closely connected to chanoyu, the Japanese tradition of tea, and the kaiseki cuisine served as part of it. It values precise knife skills, along with careful attention to presentation, tableware, and dining etiquette.
More than 70 years ago, Naoyuki Yanagihara’s grandfather established this family tradition as a formal cooking school, creating a systematic way to pass its knowledge and techniques on to future generations.
Washoku Beyond Recipes draws on this living tradition to help students around the world understand Japanese cuisine more deeply.
What Our Students Say
“I chose to follow the path of Japanese cuisine and from the very beginning, the Kinsaryu Yanagihara Cooking School offered an excellent learning environment, one that not only allows students to gain skills and learn techniques in Japanese culinary, but also the unique and immense richness of Japanese culture. Learning about Japanese food culture and its changing seasons through food and recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation has been an enriching and life-changing experience. Learning Japanese food culture has changed my view of food culture as an integral part of a nation’s identity.”
-Maria Cobo
Kinsaryu Yanagihara School of traditional Japanese cuisine Learning since 2015 (At Akasaka school) Instructor (Kinsaryu Koushi) since 2021
I can easily recommend the Kinsaryu Yanagihara Cooking School for anyone who wants to learn high quality Japanese cooking. Everyone there, starting with Naoyuki-sensei, is passionate about food and cooking. The demonstrations cover all of the techniques and key points required for successfully making a dish, as well as interesting cultural notes and stories. Then, during the cooking time there is plenty of guidance and assistance. And most importantly, the food really is delicious!
-Ryan Ward
Kinsaryu Yanagihara School of traditional Japanese cuisine Learning since 1999 (At Akasaka school) Senior professor (Kinsaryu Sei-Kyojyu) since 2010