Cooking Schools & Education
Joe Kimura has founded and developed Japanese cooking schools focused on teaching technique-driven approaches to Japanese cuisine.
These schools were created to address a gap in how Japanese food is often presented outside Japan, moving beyond a narrow focus on a few well-known dishes toward a broader and more structured understanding of the cuisine.
Oiran Kokkeskole: Copenhagen (Founded 2015)
Oiran Kokkeskole was founded in Copenhagen in 2015, with the aim of introducing a wider understanding of Japanese cuisine beyond its most commonly known dishes.
While sushi remained a central focus, the school explored a broader range of traditional preparations, ingredients, and techniques, presenting Japanese cooking as a structured and diverse culinary system.
Oiran worked with both private clients and small groups, offering classes designed to build foundational skills and understanding.
Notable Work
As part of its development, Oiran participated in Copenhagen Cooking & Food Festival, presenting one of the first ever kaiseki-style dining experiences in Denmark for a private group of guests.
Ingredients were sourced directly from Japan in advance of the event, allowing for an unparalleled level of authenticity and detail that reflected traditional approaches to Japanese cuisine.
Kimura’s Kitchen developed as an extension of this work, with a more focused format centered around accessible, technique-driven classes.
The school became particularly known for:
ramen-focused classes
private in-home cooking experiences
team-building and corporate workshops
Sessions were designed to be practical and structured, allowing participants to develop repeatable skills while working directly with ingredients and techniques.
Kimura’s Kitchen: Copenhagen
Clients & Collaborations
Kimura’s Kitchen worked with a range of corporate and institutional clients, including:
Novo Nordisk
Booking.com
Ørsted
Siemens
Trustpilot
Embassy of Mexico
LEO Pharma
Nextory
Deloitte
SYBO Games
In addition to corporate teambuilding work, the school hosted a large number of private in-home experiences for individuals and small groups.
Approach to Teaching
Across both schools, the focus remained consistent:
technique before recipes
structure over shortcuts
clarity and authenticity
Classes were designed to help participants understand not only how to prepare a dish, but how to approach Japanese cooking more broadly.
This approach still informs all of Joe Kimura’s current teaching formats.
Current Work
This work continues through Joe’s current teaching formats, including private residencies, workshops, and online sushi classes.
While the format has evolved, the core focus remains the same: providing a clear and structured understanding of Japanese cuisine through direct experience and practical application.