Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary film about the most famous and most skilled sushi master in Japan, is very much worth watching whether you love sushi or not. You can view this documentary on PBS.org/Independent lens, as well as Netflix. Jiro is in his late 80s and nowhere near contemplating retirement. He runs a small sushi shop in Ginza, Tokyo with his first son and several apprentices. The restaurant has no menu – you eat whatever the master chef serves you. There are no appetizers or other dishes, only sushi. You get one delicious piece at a time. There's no background music, no noise or loud chatter. You must make reservations at least one month in advance. Prices begin at $300 per person, and ultimately depend on the price of the fresh fish/seafood purchased for that day. There are usually no more than 10 customers in the restaurant at any one time.

The film tells the story of Jiro – How he grew up, how he worked hard every day of his life to become the most skilled sushi master in Japan. There's very little narration, it's mostly the words of Jiro, his sons and the apprentices that do the talking. The dialogue – English subtitles – is excellent and very engaging. The photography is wonderful. Jiro's philosophy of life and work probably seem quite severe and harsh to today's younger generation, but actually his outlook on life/work make him a contented and happy man. He believes that to master a skill, such as making the perfect sushi, is worth his life's ambition and commitment. To achieve this is true happiness, money doesn't matter. I doubt seriously whether many young people today would feel that work, any kind of work, is worthy of this type of complete commitment or could bring true happiness... There really is quite a lot to be learned about Japan, Japanese culture, life and work from this film. It is much more than just sushi.