My Favorite Films: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Director: David Gelb

Context:
Inspired by the popular 2006 Planet Earth documentary series, David Gelb set out to create a similar series known as Planet Sushi in which he chronicled the world's best and unique sushi restaurants.  However, along his journey, he reached a restaurant that not only had a menu that outclassed all the sushi he had ever eaten but was run by a fascinating individual whose life philosophies fed directly into the meals he prepared.  Gelb dropped the idea for a series and instead decided to just focus on this single restaurant for a feature-length documentary.

The documentary had been very well received and Gelb would go on to film a sister Netflix series Chef's Table featuring other restaurants made in a similar vein as his film.  I had heard a lot about the film when it was released, but I never got around to watching it until very recently.

I fell in love with this documentary instantly and it wasn't just because it made me hungry for sushi.

Plot:
85-year-old Jiro Ono of the restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro is profiled.  The story of how his small restaurant came to be one of the few Michelin 3-star restaurants in Japan is heavily tied to his own personal approach to life.

Analysis:
This is not a film about sushi.  Sushi is just the biproduct.  This could have been about hot dogs, tires, a cat-grooming service, or a paper company.  Had Jiro selected any of those fields to be his trade, this documentary would still be as effective.  That it's about sushi is a tasty bonus.

Jiro is man of values.  And he never wavers from those values.  We learn that he essentially became independent as a first-grader and fell into the business of sushi making as a very young apprentice.  He happened to enjoy making sushi and that passion only came with one key idea: the next piece of sushi I make must be better than the last.

His whole life became about the next piece of sushi and, while it may be seen as an obsession, Jiro was also a man of great patience.  He slowly built his legacy and formed his life and family around his sushi.  Many traditional Japanese values are ingrained in Jiro's personality and while they may not be the best for everyone, they certainly work for him.

I learned a lot about the international restaurant world through this documentary, particularly the requirements of Michelin's ideal 3-star rating.  I was surprised to learn how selective this process was and how a very few restaurants in the whole world have 3-star restaurants (there's an average of about 6 per reviewed country).  It seems the key to earning these stars is to not actively search for them but to focus on being the best and most consistent at what you do.

Jiro's restaurant is very unassuming, tucked away in a Japanese subway station with only ten seats at the counter.  Yet Jiro has made this little spot his own and as perfect as can be.  He doesn't go for big showy flourishes and signature dishes.  He just treats the traditional sushi pieces with the respect they deserve.  While the documentary doesn't go into at what steps in his life he made certain decisions for his menu, there is a suggestion that this perfection just built gradually.  Because his only focus is sushi, he doesn't serve the traditional appetizers, meals and drinks one expects at a sushi bar.  He said that the typical way of eating allows for only four or five good pieces of sushi at the end of the meal.  By eliminating all non- essentials, he can present a course that consists of 20 pieces of sushi, allowing his customers the best of everything.

His desire for perfection means that he treats each day as if it is the first day, and he is malleable to any changes the day throws at him.  Whether it be from the fish available that day in market to the way his customers eat his sushi, Jiro takes notice of everything and constantly adjusts.  While he does less of the preparation now, he is always present while his customers eat, watching their habits and tastes so as to present the next piece in the optimal way.  There is such care taken that it's no wonder everyone who goes there hails it as the best sushi they've ever had.

The film also focuses on Jiro's sons, and how they must follow in their father's legacy.  It's interesting to see how this dynamic is passed down and how much pressure their is to continue perfection.  The oldest son who will inherit the restaurant states that if he maintains the level of quality of his father, that won't be enough.  Because his father was always improving, he too must continue striving to be better and better.  He cannot plateau.

While Jiro is treating his food as his art, the real art of the man comes from his approach.  He is a highly skilled individual who essentially came from nothing.  The film inspires its viewer to find their passion and to focus on perfecting their own crafts and expertise.  That's the beauty of the movie.  It feels like success is so close.  Everyone is capable.  They just need to find their fire.

Final Thoughts:
This film is shot beautifully, with instrumental pieces backing the depictions of the food and life.  There isn't a narrator, but interviews and pictures tell the tale of this man.  It is a very visual film that shows respect for the Planet Earth influence.  While there are some stylized set-ups of Jiro and his staff preparing the food, the film doesn't try to trick you.  Everything is realistic and that realism can be beautiful.

Of course, after watching the film, I immediately wanted to go to this restaurant.  Because it is such a hot spot with only 10 seats available per meal, I was worried about how difficult it would be to visit.  While it is definitely expensive (a trip to Japan and a $240 meal of 20 sushi pieces), there is a great method employed for reservations.  Excepting special cases for wealthy customers, reservations are only allowed to be made a month in advance.  On the first of each month, reservations open and everyone has an equal opportunity to sign up.  Once the list is full, the reservations close until the next month.  This means that while they are always going to be fully booked, you don't have to wait years to get on the list.  There is some luck involved, sure, but it beats the alternative.

Jiro is still alive and working to this day, but as the movie notes, he can't live forever.  He has no desire to retire and he still loves his job.  If would be an honor to meet him, but even more of an honor to be like him.