When you arrive in Maebashi, the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, you step into a side of Japan that sits well away from the tourist trail. The city has its own food culture rooted in everyday life, and this experience brings you directly into it. You make your way to a casual sushi restaurant listed on Tabelog, where the setting reflects how locals actually eat — unpretentious, welcoming, and centred on good fish and skilled hands.

Once inside, your guide takes you through the fundamentals of nigiri-making, demonstrating each step up close. You then put the techniques into practice yourself — pressing, shaping, and forming each piece of rice and fish into nigiri.

Your guide is present throughout to explain the instructions in English and answer your questions. You work through the process at your own pace, refining your grip and technique with the guide’s support.

By the end of the 90 minutes, you have shaped your own plate of nigiri sushi using the techniques introduced during the session. You have space to ask about ingredients, regional fish, or the finer points of technique before the session wraps up. You leave with practical experience and a first-hand understanding of what goes into a craft that looks effortless but takes practice to refine.