_
And, indeed, I will ask on my own account here, an idle question: which is better—cheap happiness or exalted sufferings? Well, which is better?---Fyodor Dostoevsky ---Notes from Underground Fyodor Dostoevsky ---Notes from Underground Even now, so many years later, all this is somehow a very evil memory. I have many evil memories now, but ... hadn’t I better end my “Notes” here? I believe I made a mistake in beginning to write them, anyway I have felt ashamed all the time I’ve been writing this story; so it’s hardly literature so much as a corrective punishment. Why, to tell long stories, showing how I have spoiled my life through morally rotting in my corner, through lack of fitting environment, through divorce from real life, and rankling spite in my underground world, would certainly not be interesting; a novel needs a hero, and all the traits for an anti-hero are expressly gathered together here, and what matters most, it all produces an unpleasant impression, for we are...
Hope
To be human is to be a miracle of evolution conscious of its own miraculousness — a consciousness beautiful and bittersweet, for we have paid for it with a parallel awareness not only of our fundamental improbability but of our staggering fragility, of how physiologically precarious our survival is and how psychologically vulnerable our sanity. To make that awareness bearable, we have evolved a singular faculty that might just be the crowning miracle of our consciousness: hope.--
Erich Fromm
The life of a perfectionist-JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011)
A Life Defined by Repetition
Jiro Ono is more than a chef; he is a philosopher of the craft. Born in 1925 in the Shizuoka Prefecture, Jiro's journey began out of necessity when he left home at the age of seven. Today, at 100 years old, he remains the eldest sushi master in the world, having defined the standards of the "Shokunin" (craftsman) spirit for generations.
The film follows Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old sushi master and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a Michelin three-star restaurant, on his continuing quest to perfect the art of sushi. The film also profiles Jiro's two sons, both of whom are also sushi chefs.
Japanese chef Jiro Ono is THE best sushi chef in the world. Jiro Dreams of Suhi is a glimpse into his life, as he manages his restaurant (called Sukiyabashi Jiro) and teaches his sons the art of sushi. Director David Gelb originally set out to make a film about sushi, but he found Jiro’s story so compelling that the doc changed into a character piece. Jiro is a stubborn perfectionist with traditional views, and the film brings all his qualities (good and bad) to light.
His restaurant serves only sushi. It has 10 seats at a counter. It is in the basement of a Tokyo high-rise, not far from a subway stop. It has been awarded three stars, the highest possible rating, by the Michelin Guide. David Gelb's "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is a documentary about a man whose relationship with sushi wavers between love and madness. He is a perfectionist, never satisfied, and if you go to work for him as an apprentice, you will have to spend weeks learning how to squeeze out a towel properly before moving on to learn how to slice a hard-boiled egg.
He agonizes about the placement of mats on his counter. Great attention is paid to where along the counter the 10 customers are seated in relationship to one another. Jiro's 50-year-old son, Yoshikazu, works with him in the restaurant and will inherit it someday. A younger son runs an associated sushi bar elsewhere in Tokyo. At Jiro's, there is a three-month wait for a reservation. A typical meal will cost you more than $300. It will not take very long to eat.
"While watching it, I found myself drawn into the mystery of this man. Are there any unrealized wishes in his life? Secret diversions? Regrets? If you find an occupation you love and spend your entire life working at it, is that enough? Standing behind his counter, Jiro notices things. Some customers are left-handed, some right-handed. That helps determine where they are seated at his counter. As he serves a perfect piece of sushi, he observes it being eaten. He knows the history of that piece of seafood. He knows his staff has recently started massaging an octopus for 45 minutes and not half an hour, for example. Does he search a customer's eyes for a signal that this change has been an improvement? Half an hour of massage was good enough to win three Michelin stars. You realize the tragedy of Jiro Ono's life is that there are not, and will never be, four stars."
Jiro Ono Contemplates The End Of Sushi As We Know It >>>
Jiro Ono (小野 二郎)
The World's Oldest Three-Michelin-Star Chef
Jiro Ono is the owner and master chef of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a world-renowned 10-seat sushi restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station basement. His life and work were famously chronicled in the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
Quick Facts (as of 2026)
Born: October 27, 1925 (100 years old).
Restaurant: Sukiyabashi Jiro (Ginza, Tokyo).
Philosophy: Shokunin—the relentless pursuit of perfection through repetitive discipline.
Accolades: First sushi chef to earn 3 Michelin stars; Guinness World Record holder for the oldest head chef of a 3-star restaurant (at age 93).
Status: Semi-retired but still active. His eldest son, Yoshikazu, now serves as the primary head chef, while his younger son, Takashi, runs a separate two-star branch in Roppongi Hills.
The Journey to Mastery
Jiro’s path was defined by hardship and extreme discipline.
Childhood: Abandoned by his father at age 7, he began working at a local inn. By age 9, he was told to find his own way, leading him to a sushi apprenticeship.
Establishment: He opened Sukiyabashi Jiro in 1965 at the age of 40.
Daily Rituals: For over 50 years, Jiro followed a rigid schedule: waking at 5:00 AM, personally inspecting the fish at the market, and spending hours "massaging" octopus (up to 50 minutes) to ensure perfect tenderness.
The Sukiyabashi Jiro Experience
Dining at Jiro’s is famously described as a "performance" rather than a standard meal:
The Pace: A full 20-piece omakase meal typically lasts only 20–30 minutes. Jiro believes sushi should be eaten the moment it is placed on the counter to maintain optimal temperature.
The Precision: Jiro is known to adjust the size of sushi pieces based on the gender and dominant hand of the diner to ensure the entire party finishes at the same time.
The Reservation Myth: In 2020, the restaurant was removed from the Michelin Guide—not because the quality dropped, but because it stopped accepting reservations from the general public. It now only accepts bookings through luxury hotel concierges or for long-time regulars.
Notable Moments
Presidential Visit: In 2014, then-U.S. President Barack Obama dined with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Obama reportedly stated it was the best sushi he had ever had.
100th Birthday (2025): Jiro celebrated his centenary with a gift from Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. He remarked that he intends to keep working for "at least five more years" and has set a personal goal to live to 114.
Core Teachings
Jiro’s life is often cited by business leaders and artists as the ultimate example of "Mastery":
Love your work: "Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with it."
No Shortcuts: Apprentices at Jiro's must often spend 10 years learning how to properly cook and handle the rice before they are even allowed to touch the fish.
Perfection is a Horizon: Even at 100, Jiro maintains that he has not yet reached perfection and continues to "climb the mountain" every day.
.jpg)