The Bus

Jiro Dreams of Sushi | Dir: David Gelb | IMDB



In the basement of a Tokyo office building, 85 year old sushi master Jiro Ono works tirelessly in his world renowned restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro. As his son Yoshikazu faces the pressures of stepping into his father's shoes and taking over the legendary restaurant, Jiro relentlessly pursues his lifelong quest to create the perfect piece of sushi.

<hr>

Let's get this one thing about Jiro Dreams of Sushi out of the way as soon as possible:

It is not about sushi.

OK, yes, it sort of is, but it's not really about sushi. It's about the dedication and hard work it takes for anyone to become excellent at what they love to do. It's about the price families pay, hard childhoods, the rapidly dwindling sea stocks, and many other things. The sushi, while not an afterthought, is not what the documentary about.

It's about 85-year old Jiro Ono, the oldest working three-star Michelin chef, Japan's national treasure, and tough-as-nails perfectionist who is now in his 75th year of mastering his craft, out of an unassuming space in the Ginza stop of the Tokyo subway.

He could be making sushi, or shoes, or doing taxes. What he's doing is less important than how he's done it. The sushi, admittedly, is much more interesting to look at than some cut leather or a pile of tax forms. And we do get some insight into the history of sushi, and a look at the Tsukiji Fish Market. At 81 minutes, the documentary doesn't have time for this. And, as I said before, it's not really about the fish.

Giles

the red camera photography of the footage and specifically the sushi made me very hungry, had some after the movie.

The Bus

This was my plan too, but the sushi place was closed on Sundays. I had a burger instead.