Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.

Director:

David Gelb

Stars:

Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto

3 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jiro Ono	...	Self
Yoshikazu Ono	...	Self
Masuhiro Yamamoto	...	Self
Daisuke Nakazama	...	Self
Hachiro Mizutani	...	Self
Harutaki Takahashi	...	Self
Hiroki Fujita	...	Self
Tsunenori Ida	...	Self
Toichiro Iida	...	Self
Akihiro Oyama	...	Self
Shizuo Oyama	...	Self
Hiroshi Okuda	...	Self
Yukio Watanabe	...	Self
Kazunori Kumakawa	...	Self
Kazuo Fukaya	...	Self

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 | master | tuna | fish market | sushi bar | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Professional sushi knives are sharpened asymmetrically, with the larger angle on the right side of the edge for right-handed chefs or the left side for left-handed chefs. The nearly unsharpened left side can be seen in the montage of closeups after the staff breakfast scene.

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Quotes

Jiro Ono: I've never once hated this job. I fell in love with my work and gave my life to it. Even though I'm eighty five years old, I don't feel like retiring. That's how I feel.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Referenced in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Pulls Off a Heist! (2017)

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Soundtracks

String Quartet No. 4 (Buzcak)
Written by Philip Glass
Performed by Kronos Quartet

User Reviews

Alternatingly Indulgent, Bittersweet, Creative and Poignant

A lingering, sentimental look at the mentality and habits of Jiro Ono, legendary sushi chef and Japanese national treasure. The long, personal chats with Jiro and sons, plus an exhaustive investigation into every aspect of his business, are balanced by an overly generous dose of shallow focal-range, slow-motion food porn. Like many stereotypical wise men of his age and nationality, the old master also has plenty of sharp, stirring wisdom to impart. Though he doesn't come right out and say it, it's easy to see the parallels he hopes you'll draw between his dedication to the kitchen and the nuances of a rewarding life, and my breath caught in my throat on more than one occasion. A great vehicle for deep immersion into a very traditional Japanese culture, this is far deeper and more rewarding than it initially lets on.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

15 March 2012 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Filming Locations:

Sukibayashi Jiro - Tsukamoto Sogyo Building Basement 1st Floor, 4-2-15, Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$42,035, 11 March 2012

Gross USA:

$2,552,478

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,692,864

Company Credits

Production Co:

Preferred Content, Sundial Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1