.png)
RTW Trip Day #6: Tokyo: Homecoming TAKA and the Bullet Train to Kyoto
- andrewsco3
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 8
4 October 2025
Steps: 9,113
For our last day in Tokyo we spent the morning at a cooking, calligraphy and origami experience called Homecoming Taka. It was the perfect way to end our time in Tokyo, and although we were sad to leave, it's exciting having now arrived in Kyoto. How many temples will we see in 5 days?!?!
Homecoming TAKA Experience
We booked this experience almost 9 months ago after reading the glowing Tripadvisor reviews, and after spending the morning with Taka-San and Keiko-San in their home, it’s clear why everyone speaks so highly of it.
Everything about this experience was amazing. Taka-san met us at the train station, and we began the short ten-minute walk to his home. Along the way, we stopped at an old temple, where he explained the etiquette and mentioned that he prays there every morning.
From there, we continued through quiet side streets until we reached his house in a peaceful neighborhood.
He and his wife, Teiko-san, welcomed us into their home as if we were family. You can tell Taka truly cares about his guests - the walls are covered with photos of people who have stayed with him over the years.
Origami
We started the class by being welcomed by Taka and Keiko with a welcome drink, and Taka explained the itinerary for the day.
Our first activity was learning how to make a paper origami crane, which is a symbol of peace in Japan. Keiko was a wonderful instructor, and she guided us patiently through each fold, and even the girls were able to follow along easily.
Taka gave the girls some origami paper, which was just one of many gifts we were given throughout the day!
Cooking Class: Sushi Making, Udon Noodles & Tempura
After finishing our origami, it was time to start cooking. We began by making udon noodles, starting with the dough. Instead of kneading it by hand, we had to put it in a plastic bag and “dance” on it to the beat of YMCA. The kids thought it was absolutely hilarious.
Next, we made salmon and red snapper sushi, along with some cucumber maki. We also prepared seared beef sushi, which Taka explained is actually quite common in Japan, despite the common belief that sushi is only made with fish. Jess even got to try cooking the meat herself using a blowtorch, which she absolutely loved it.
Finally, we made some vegetable tempura. Keiko had already prepared the vegetables, but they showed us how to make the light batter and get the consistency just right.
It was a great mix of vegetables including mushrooms, squash, asparagus, red pepper and zucchini, which was a nice change as we have found it can be quite hard to come across many vegetables in Japan.
We then sat down at the family table and ate together, and the kids got to learn all about their family and we shared what life is like in Canada. They even offered us free beer and sake and the girls orange juice and apple juice. Taka gave me the rest of the sake bottle to take home with me!
After lunch we were introduced to a traditional matcha tea ceremony, along with being offered some sweet Japanese confectionery. Taka showed the girls exactly how they should drink from the mug, wipe where they drank from, say something positive and then bow.
Calligraphy
Last but not least, we tried calligraphy and learned how to write our names in traditional Japanese script. Keiko also wrote each of our names on a piece of paper for us to take home as a keepsake. We are planning to frame it when we get home as it is beautiful.
After the experience Taka walked us back to the station and even let us borrow some umbrellas as it started to throw it down with rain!
I might write more about this in a separate post as it was such a great experience. If you are in Tokyo I couldn't recommend this anymore, it was perfect.
The Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Kyoto
Catching the bullet train (called the Shinkansen) was something I’d really been looking forward to as it’s such an iconic part of Japan. It perfectly sums up how advanced the country is compared to the UK, where we’re used to slow trains and constant maintenance delays.
Simple, efficient and fast - exactly what you’d expect from Japan.
We had hoped to get a view of mount Fuji from the side of the train that we booked, but unfortunately the rain was pretty bad and all we could see was clouds.
Ben's Guesthouse in Kyoto
We got our first taxi of the trip to Ben’s Guesthouse. Since we were arriving after hours, we’d been given instructions on how to get our key from a locker, but when we opened it, there was no key! Cue the panic. Just as we were frantically searching Booking.com for a last-minute place to stay, someone turned up and let us in.
It’s a nice change from a hotel room as it's located on a quiet residential street, and we had cooking and washing facilities. There was a bit of a musty smell but it wasn't too bad. We did have a drying room which was a first! The girls enjoyed sitting down at the traditional table and chairs in the main room.
We had dinner at a small gyoza restaurant near the guesthouse, which was simple and a lovely way to end the day. The owner even brought out some traditional Japanese games for the girls to play with while they waited for their food.
Previous Day #5: Senso-ji & Ueno
Comments