You arrive at a casual sushi or seafood restaurant in Toyama, a city on the Sea of Japan coast known for its access to fresh local seafood. The setting is relaxed and welcoming, and your guide introduces you to the chef and the structure of the session before things get started. This is not a formal fine-dining environment — the atmosphere is approachable, making it easy to ask questions and engage from the moment you walk in.
The chef stands in front of you and demonstrates nigiri technique step by step, showing you how to shape rice and place fish with practiced precision. You then replicate each step yourself, forming and pressing the rice, laying the topping, and repeating the process across different pieces. Your guide translates and relays any questions you have directly to the chef, keeping the session interactive throughout.
By the end of the session, you have shaped your own nigiri pieces using technique shown to you by a working sushi chef. You sit down and eat what you have made, tasting the direct result of what you practiced during the class. The experience closes with the opportunity to ask any remaining questions through your guide before you wrap up.