Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his business in the basement of a Tokyo office building, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.

Director:

David Gelb

Stars:

Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama, Hachiro Mizutani

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Masuhiro Yamamoto	...	Himself
Daisuke Nakazama	...	Himself
Hachiro Mizutani	...	Himself
Harutaki Takahashi	...	Himself
Hiroki Fujita	...	Himself
Tsunenori Ida	...	Himself
Toichiro Iida	...	Himself
Akihiro Oyama	...	Himself
Shizuo Oyama	...	Himself
Hiroshi Okuda	...	Himself
Yukio Watanabe	...	Himself
Kazunori Kumakawa	...	Himself
Kazuo Fukaya	...	Himself
Syozo Someya	...	Himself
Hiromichi Honda	...	Himself

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

sushi | sushi restaurant | food name in title | perfectionist | chef | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

15 March 2012 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Jiro sni o sushi

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$42,035 (USA) (9 March 2012)

Gross:

$2,550,508 (USA) (17 August 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Preferred Content, Sundial Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word "sushi" refers to the way the rice is prepared, not the fish or other toppings. Sushi rice is prepared with a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt, and occasionally kombu (a type of seaweed) and sake (rice liquor.)

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Quotes

Jiro Ono: Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably.

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Crazy Credits

In the Special Thanks section, "The Tsukiji Fish Market" is listed twice.

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Soundtracks

"Off To Market"
Composed and Produced by Rye Randa and Jeff Foxworth aka The Ontic

User Reviews

You'll dream of Jiro.

Sushi lovers will be hypnotized by the 85 year old subject of the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Jiro has spent his life seeking perfection in sushi preparation, and Michelin agrees that he has come close by awarding him three stars, unprecedented for an octogenarian.

Jiro's restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro in a Tokyo office building basement has reservations available a month away. He and his heir, Yoshikazu labor all day to buy the best raw fish at the market and sell the best sushi. Nothing less.

The film does a good job tracking the preparation, from picking one out of ten fish at any time to delicately shaping tuna around rice or massaging octopi for 20 minutes before preparation. Buying the best rice is another ritual that has its own rules, and Jiro rules.

Although the documentary can be repetitious, moments of beauty accompany the process such as likening serving sushi to a concert with different moods and tempos.

It might be best to see this film on a full stomach. Otherwise you'll be racing to the nearest Asian bistro. Not a bad thing.