What defines “deliciousness"?
Taste is tough to explain, isn't it?
I would see ideas in dreams.
My mind was bursting with ideas.
I would wake up in the middle of the night.
In dreams I would have visions of sushi.
DAVID GEL
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.
I have published several restaurant guidebooks.
I went to every sushi, sobs, tempura, and eel restaurant in Tokyo.
Nobody has eaten more
of these foods than me.
YAMAGATA: POD WRITER
Out of the hundreds of restaurants that I ate at...
Jiro's was the best by far.
When I went to Jiro the first time I was nervous.
After going for years I am still nervous.
Jiro has a very stern look on his face when he's making sushi.
It's comfortable for people who like to have sushi served at a fast pace.
But for people who want to drink and eat slowly while chatting...
It won't be a comfortable eating experience.
All of the sushi is simple.
It's completely minimal.
Master chefs from around the world eat at Jiro's and say...
“How can something so simple
have so much depth in flavor?"
If you were to sum up Jiro's sushi in a nutshell...
“Ultimate simplicity leads to purity."
Excuse me.
Yes?
Do you have a pamphlet for this restaurant?
We don't have pamphlets.
We only have business cards. Could I have one please?
May I have one?
I came all the way from Shizuoka.
Here are a couple.
Can I make reservations?
Reservations are mandatory here.
How early do you need the reservation?
One month in advance.
One month in advance?
Yes.
Since it's February now, we're taking reservations for March.
I see.
Reservations can be made for lunch and dinner'?
Yes for both.
The price starts at 30,000 yen.
30,000 yen?
It starts at 30,000 yen.
Okay
The sushi and prices vary...
depending on what's available at the market.
I see.
So it starts from 30,000 yen.
Can we order drinks and appetizers to start?
We only serve sushi. We don't have appetizers.
Really - Yes.
You don't have any other dishes? - No.
Only sushi - Yes.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
For fast eaters a meal there might last only fifteen minutes.
In that sense it's the most expensive restaurant in the world.
But people who eat there are convinced it's worth the price.
YOSHIKAZY: JIRO'S OLDER SON
We're not trying to be exclusive or elite.
The techniques we use are no big secret.
It's just about making an effort and repeating the same thing every day.
There are some who are born with a natural gift.
Some have a sensitive palate and sense of smell.
That's what you call “natural talent."
In this line of business...
if you take it seriously, you'll become skilled.
But if you want to make a mark in the world, you have to have talent.
The rest is how hard you work.
He repeats the same routine everyday.
He even gets on the train from the same position.
He has said that he dislikes holidays.
The holidays are too long for him.
He wants to get back to work as soon as possible.
It's unthinkable for normal people.
Is it good?
Is it too firm?
Overall, It's a little tough.
Is it?
Probably because it is young.
But the toughness isn't that bad.
If it doesn't taste good you can't serve it.
It has to be better than last time.
That's why I always taste the food before serving it.
NAKAZAWA: SENIOR APPRENTICE
It hasn't marinated enough.
It is a bit fatty.
This doesn't taste right either.
How long has this marinated?
For about five hours.
Put it back in.
It needs work.
Let's marinate it in vinegar a little more.
Yes, put it back in the vinegar.
Let's marinate it again.
Put this in the vinegar again.
Put that one in the vinegar too.
Let's try that for the last time.
Okay-
I've seen many chefs who are self-critical...
but I've never seen a chef who is so hard on himself.
He sets the standard for self-discipline.
He is always looking ahead.
He's never satisfied with his work.
He's always trying to find ways to make the sushi better,
or to improve his skills.
Even now, that's what he thinks about all day, every day.
A great chef has the following five attributes.
First, they take their work very seriously...
and constantly perform on the highest level.
Second, they aspire to improve their skills.
Third is cleanliness.
If the restaurant doesn't feel clean,
the food isn't going to taste good.
The fourth attribute is...
Impatience.
They are better leaders than collaborators.
They're stubborn and insist on having it their way.
And, finally...
A great chef is passionate.
Jiro has all of these attributes.
He's a perfectionist.
The difference between Jiro today and Jiro forty years ago...
is only that he stopped smoking.
Other than that, nothing has changed.
MIZUTANI: FORMER APPRENTICE
When I apprenticed for him, he wasn't famous yet.
But he always worked incredibly hard.
He would only take a day off if it was a national holiday.
The only time he would not be at the restaurant was
when there was an emergency like a funeral.
But he would keep the restaurant open.
I would say to the customers,
“Jiro is at a funeral, so I will be your chef today."
I've worked hard, so I have no regrets.
Seriously.
If Jiro has any regrets, then he's crazy!
I feel sorry for his older son.
He should let Yoshikazu take over.
Don't you think?
Yoshikazu is already fifty.
Yes, he's only twelve years younger than I am.
Yoshikazu, you probably didn't think
you'd be working with your father so long.
I thought he was going to retire long ago.
Everyone thought Jiro might retire ten years ago.
He was hospitalized once when he was seventy.
Then, the Roppongi Hills branch was opened.
Those were the two times that he might have retired.
After he was hospitalized, we weren't sure he could continue working.
How old were you when you started training?
I started when I was nineteen.
You didn't like it at first?
I hated it at first.
For the first two years I wanted to run away.
We can have them sit here and here.
But that way, Mr. Taniguchi would have to sit at seat nine.
Have these guests on seats one, two, and three.
No, that won't work.
It wouldn't be fair to the people who reserved last year.
Have them sit close together
to fit the other party.
It's essential to check every detail.
What the staff might not notice...
I notice because I have been doing it for so long.
I give them detailed instructions on what to do.
Working there wasn't easy.
I worked for him until he was sixty.
I wouldn't say he is eccentric.
He just works relentlessly every day.
That's how shokunin are.
The way of the shokunin is to repeat the same thing every day.
They just want to work.
They aren't trying to be special.
I could always tell when he was in a good or bad mood.
And when it's best not to bother him.
Once your boss, always your boss.
Let's just say I don't sleep with my feet in his direction.
Remove the part with tough meat.
We'll age a small tuna for about three days.
We'll age a larger tuna for up to ten days.
When you compare fatty tuna and lean tuna...
these days, most people prefer the taste of fat.
O-TORO
Before World War ll, they used to cook o-toro.
The taste of the fatty tuna is simple and predictable.
But the flavors of leaner cuts are subtle and sophisticated.
CHU-TORO
MEDIUM TUNA
Each tuna has its own unique taste.
But it is the leaner meat that carries the essence of the flavor.
LEAN TUNA
We can't just buy any tuna.
TSUKIJI FISH MARKET
The tuna vendor works exclusively with tuna.
Our shrimp vendor only sells shrimp.
Each of the vendors are specialists in their fields.
We are experts in sushi but...
in each of their specialties the vendors are more knowledgeable.
We've built up a relationship of trust with them.
Sushi originally was sold from street stands.
In New York there are food vendors on the street.
Sushi was once served the same way.
It is said that the “California” roll
was invented between 1983 and 1985.
Sushi's popularity spread quickly to New York...
and then spread to Europe.
In France, the first Michelin guide was published in 1900.
Michelin inspectors look first for quality.
Next, they look for originality...
and finally, they look for consistency.
Jiro's restaurant easily meets these standards.
A perfect three star Michelin rating means...
it is worth making a trip to that country just to eat at that restaurant.
When Jiro got three stars everyone was astonished.
There's only ten seats there!
There restroom is outside the premises.
There's not one three star restaurant in the world like that.
But the Michelin investigators say...
“No matter how many times you eat
at Jiro's, the sushi there is incredible."
They said that three stars is the only rating adequate for the restaurant.
I've never had a disappointing experience there.
That's nothing short of a miracle.
ROPPONGI HILLS: TOKYO
TAKASHI
JIRO'S YOUNGER SON
The layout of this second restaurant is different
because I'm right handed and he is left handed.
The interiors are reversed.
The photo on the right is Jiro's Sukiyabashi.
This is my Roppongi
Together, they are symmetrical.
My father's skill is incomparable.
He's been making sushi since before I was born.
So there's nothing I can do to top him.
I have to lower my prices to satisfy my customers.
Some of his customers say...
they get nervous eating in front of my father at his place.
They say we serve the same sushi in a more relaxed atmosphere.
That's why they like coming here.
When I opened this restaurant, my father said,
“Now you have no home to come back to."
He said that I would be buried in Roppongi.
Failure was not an option.
When you open your own restaurant you need to be tough.
I told him to leave and open this restaurant
because I knew he could do it.
If he weren't ready, I wouldn't have made him go.
But, I felt he was ready...
so I gave him a gentle push out the door.
But I told him, “there is no turning back..."
“you must make your own way."
When I say things like this...
people often disagree.
But when I left home at the age of nine that's what I was told.
When I was in the first grade I was told...
“You have no home to come back to."
“That's why you have to work hard."
I knew that I was on my own.
And I didn't want to have to sleep at the temple or under a bridge...
so I had to work just to survive.
That has never left me.
I worked even if the boss kicked or slapped me.
Nowadays, parents tell their children,
“You can return if it doesn't work out."
When parents say stupid things like that,
the kids turn out to be failures.
I don't know much about my parents.
I don't know much about my father.
This is me.
It's 1927 or 1928.
They had a professional photographer come just to take this picture.
So, back then, my father was making money.
He made good money taking people on boat rides.
But his business failed, and his life fell apart.
All he did was drink.
Later, he went to work at a military factory in Yokohama.
I heard that he died.
But I didn't go to the funeral...
I lived with him until I was seven.
I never heard from him again.
I was on my own after that.
Our father started as an apprentice and was paid almost nothing.
According to our mother, when they got married...
they only had ten yen in their bank account.
That's how poor we were.
I remember when Coca Cola in cans first came out.
All the other kids were drinking Coke
but we were so poor we didn't get to drink it.
Back then, in most canned drinks the flavors were on the bottom.
I thought you had to shake the can.
I shook it, and when I opened it the liquid burst out.
We had saved up for months!
My brother was furious.
Less than half the liquid remained in the can.
I felt so sorry.
Even now he probably thinks about it.
I still feel guilty.
When the kids were small...
Takashi would say...
on the rare occasion that I was at home sleeping in on a Sunday...
“Mom, there's a strange man sleeping in our house!"
It's a true story.
I would get up at five in the morning and go to work.
I would get home after ten at night when he'd be asleep.
When they were young, I didn't get to see them often.
I wasn't much of a father.
I was probably more like a stranger.
Our father was always strict with himself.
We hold ourselves to the same standard.
I let them graduate from high school.
Then, they wanted to go to college
but I convinced them to help out at my restaurant.
They didn't go to college.
It's difficult to maintain a restaurant...
and it's difficult to leave and start your own.
It's normal to be competitive when you're younger.
You need competition in order to improve.
But if we both were to continue working at our father's restaurant,
when he retires... only one of us could be the head chef.
And I don't think I'm inferior to my brothe rjust because I'm born later.
Were you jealous when Takashi started his own restaurant?
In Japan, the eldest son succeeds his father's position.
That's what is expected of me.
We came back to work after World War ll.
The masters said that the history of sushi is so long...
that nothing new could be invented.
They may have mastered their craft...
but there's always room for improvement.
I created sushi dishes that never existed back then.
I would make sushi in my dreams.
I would jump out of bed at night with ideas.
How did you serve shrimp before'?
Like everyone else we boiled it in the morning...
and put it in the refrigerator.
And then we took it out when it was time to serve.
It was a lot easier back then.
Now, we wait to boil the shrimp until the customer arrives.
It's more work, but it's worth it.
Octopus is another example.
I always felt that my preparation was decent.
But I've since refined my technique.
Back then, I would massage the octopus for about thirty minutes.
Now, it is massaged for forty to fifty minutes.
It's hard work for the apprentices.
Too often, octopus tastes like rubber.
It has no flavor.
We massage it to give it a soft texture.
To bring out the fragrance of the octopus, we serve it warm.
Shokunin try to get the highest quality fish
and apply their technique to it.
We don't care about money.
All I want to do is make better sushi.
I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit.
There is always a yearning to achieve more.
I'll continue to climb, trying to reach the top...
but no one knows where the top is.
Even at my age, after decades of work...
I don't think I have achieved perfection.
But I feel ecstatic all day...
I love making sushi.
That's the spirit of the shokunin.
When to quit?
The job that you've worked so hard for?
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.
When Jiro retires,
or when the inevitable happens...
Sushi may never reach that level again.
But if Yoshikazu carries on his father's legacy...
and continues Jiro's style of only making the finest sushi...
other chefs may follow his lead...
and restaurants that focus only on sushi may still flourish.
It's not going to be easy...
for Yoshikazu to succeed his father at the same restaurant.
Even if Yoshikazu makes the same level of sushi...
it will be seen as inferior.
If Yoshikazu makes sushi that's twice as good as Jiro's,
only then will they be seen as equals.
That's how influential his father is.
Sometimes, when the father is too successful,
the son can't surpass him.
The first place I worked at, Yoshino,
was a famous restaurant.
But when the son took over, all the customers left and didn't come back.
It will be difficult.
I don't have anyone to take over for me.
Jiro's ghost will always be there, watching.
I think it will be difficult when Jiro departs.
I wish my father could make sushi forever.
But at some point I'm going to have to take his place.
People tell me that I should preserve what my father has built.
We've gone through a lot to maintain the integrity of this restaurant.
I must continue my father's tradition.
Jiro stopped going to the fish market at the age of seventy.
He collapsed while smoking a cigarette.
He had a heart attack.
It was after that he stopped going to the fish market.
He felt that if he continued to go to the fish market...
he wouldn't be able to pass the torch to his son.
So...
The heart attack was a catalyst for Yoshikazu to start going to the market.
FUJITA: TUNA DEALER
He's the undisputed champ.
That's not true.
They did a TV special about him and even showed are-run!
I'm humbled that Jiro respects my taste.
My methods and standards are...
a little unusual compared to other vendors.
It is encouraging that he trusts me.
I'm what you might call “anti-establishment."
I either buy my first choice, or I buy nothing.
If ten tuna are for sale, only one can be the best.
I buy that one.
The first impression is very important.
We have to predict what a fish will be like based on experience and instinct.
I dig out a piece of flesh and examine it.
By checking the texture with my fingers...
I can tell how good it will taste.
This is the basic process of choosing the fish.
Not good.
People are saying there are a lot of tuna here.
That's not true. This is nothing.
How is the halibut?
Good and fresh.
Okay, good.
His grandfather was known as “the god of sea eel."
He was a legend.
I've never met him in person...
but that's what I've heard.
Do you have octopus?
Yes.
Today's octopus is from...
Sajima? - It's from Yokosuka.
Was the color too dark?
I don't care about the color.
It just has to taste good.
The flavor is all that matters.
This one is two kilograms, and this one is a little smaller.
We are picky about who we sell to.
We want customers who appreciate good fish.
Even at my age I'm discovering new techniques.
But just when you think you know it all,
you realize that you're just fooling yourself...
and then you get depressed.
You must hold the shrimp firmly.
Put pressure on them.
If you hold them gently, they'll try to escape.
Very few shrimp came in today.
They don't have any.
They didn't sell out. No shrimp came in.
Just tell them that we sold out.
There were only three kilograms of wild shrimp in this whole market.
That's all there were.
Everybody thinks we always have shrimp.
But it's hard to find them.
Sometimes, when I see the shrimp in the morning...
I'll say “ah, this is worthy of Jiro."
That's the way I do business.
It's not about the money.
These days, the first thing people want is an easy job.
Then, they want lots of free time.
And then, they want lots of money.
But they aren't thinking of building their skills.
When you work at a place like Jiro's...
You are committing to a trade for life.
Most people can't keep up with the hard work and they quit.
Have there been a lot of cases like that?
People often suddenly quit and disappear.
They'll just leave without notice.
What's the shortest an apprentice has lasted?
One day.
Really, one day.
They come in the morning but by night they are gone.
I've always loved anything fast.
I wanted to become a fighter pilot.
But, they don't accept people with bad vision.
Then, I wanted to be a race car driver.
But, I didn't have enough money.
You need a sponsor because race cars are so expensive.
When I was a kid, I was sure I would be an F1 racer.
You're a speed freak?
Yes, I'm crazy.
My car can go 300 kilometers per hour.
Hello, Sho-chan.
They wanted nappa and mulukhiya cabbage.
How are you doing?
Not doing too well.
I want to retire.
You don't want to work?
I don't, but your dad is working so hard.
Yeah, he's working hard. He's working harder than I am.
He's full of energy.
Thank you, hope you feel better.
When you work for Jiro, he teaches you for free.
But, you have to endure ten years of training.
If you persevere for ten years...
You will acquire the skills to be recognized as a first rate chef.
It's sad to see that there are no very young apprentices at Jiro's.
Taking ten years to learn the necessary skills...
is a long time compared to other fields of work...
When did you want to become a sushi chef?
I was about seventeen.
I needed a job, but couldn't decide what to do.
I wanted to do something with food...
and sushi is the coolest food.
I went to several restaurants,
but the sushi here was the best.
So, I applied for the job.
The atmosphere was different too.
This place has an interesting vibe.
I came here to eat by myself when I was twenty four.
The place made me nervous.
Did Jiro make you sushi?
No, it was you.
Oh, really?
I was so nervous eating here.
I don't remember that at all.
Now, you guys are all fulfilling your dreams.
Maybe you think you made the wrong decision.
Okay, let's get to work.
Everybody works to please Jiro.
All that matters is Jiro's approval.
Jiro is like the maestro of an orchestra.
When you first sit down at Jiro's they give you a hot towel.
Their towels are prepared by hand.
An apprentice must first be able to properly hand squeeze a towel.
At first the towels are so hot they burn the apprentice's hands.
It's very painful training, which is very Japanese.
Until you can adequately squeeze a towel they won't let you touch the fish.
Then, you learn to cut and prepare the fish.
After about ten years, they let you cook the eggs.
I had been practicing making the egg sushi for a long time.
I thought I would be good at it.
But when it came to making the real thing...
I kept messing up.
I was making up to four a day.
But they kept saying “No good, no good, no good."
I felt like it was impossible to satisfy them.
After three or four months,
I had made over 200 that were all rejected.
When I finally did make a good one...
Jiro said, “Now this is how it should be done."
I was so happy I cried.
It was a long time before Jiro referred to me as a shokunin.
I wanted to say, “You just called me a shokunin, didn't you?"
I was so happy that I wanted to throw my fist into the air!
But, I tried not to let it show.
That's what you strive for after all these years.
After Nakazawa opens his own place...
Takeshita and Masuda will be promoted to Nakazawa's position.
The work that Takeshita and Masuda were doing...
will be taken over by newcomers.
I'm in charge of tasting.
You should slice the fish thinner.
The rest is okay.
But, make sure you slice the fish thinly.
Only apply gently pressure.
He gives me advice.
Yoshikazu says, “press the sushi as if you are pressing a little chick."
A chick?
Right, a baby chicken.
You don't want to squash it.
But, there is much you can't learn from words.
I have to keep practicing.
There's too much wasabi.
It's making me cry.
I'm sorry.
You just grated the wasabi, right?
Okay, good job.
He needs time to grow.
There is still a long way for him to go...
but I think he will improve.
It depends on how hard he works.
In order to make delicious food,
you must eat delicious food.
The quality of ingredients is important, but...
you need to develop a palate capable of discerning good and bad.
Without good taste, you can't make good food.
If your sense of taste is lower than that of the customers,
how will you impress them?
When I think of someone with a highly acute sense of taste and smell...
the first person I think of is the great French chef Joel Robuchon.
I wish I were as sensitive as he.
I have a very good sense of smell...
but he's on another level.
His sensitivity is very high.
If I had his tongue and nose...
I could probably make even better food.
HIROMICHI: RICE DEALER
He knows everything about rice.
He's different from the other dealers...
He knows so much.
That's why we trust him.
However, sometimes he seems so knowledgeable that I get suspicious he's making it all up!
The hotel near Takashi's restaurant came to me.
I told them certain rice can only be prepared by Jiro's disciples.
It was the Hyatt Hotel.
Oh, the Grand Hyatt.
They asked you for our rice?
I told them, “No way!"
I said even if I wanted to sell it to them...
Only Jiro knows how to cook it!
If Jiro told me to sell it to them I would...
but I can't sell it to them just because they ask for it.
Everybody loves our rice.
But if they can't cook it, what's the use?
It takes significant skill to cook this rice.
What's the point of buying rice that you can't cook?
This is difficult rice to cook, isn't it?
You can't cook rice like this just with big talk.
We put a lot of pressure on the rice.
The lid itself is so heavy that it takes two hands to lift.
And then, we place a big pot of water on top.
With the type of rice we use, you need a lot of pressure.
I can't think of a single restaurant that puts this much pressure on the rice.
But that's fine with us...
because we can keep using the best rice...
and our rivals won't be able to imitate us.
The temperature of the rice is very important.
Most people think sushi is cold.
But actually, the rice should be served at body temperature.
We've devised techniques to maintain the perfect temperature when sewing.
The temperature and freshness of the fish is crucial.
Each ingredient has an ideal moment of deliciousness.
Mastering the timing of sushi is difficult.
It takes years of experience to develop you intuition.
The sushi must be eaten immediately after it is served.
To explain umami...
It takes more than just a good piece of tuna to create the sensation of umami.
It's when...
you eat it together with vinegared rice and soy sauce.
The umami is brought out through the balance of the flavors.
For example,
when you drink a good beer...
you'll exclaim, “Ahh!" after you drink it.
That's a form of umami.
Or, when you take a bath...
you say, “Ahh!" because it feels good.
The most important part of making good sushi is this:
Creating a union between the rice and the fish.
If they are not in complete harmony, the sushi won't taste good.
The order is also important.
In traditional Japanese cuisine there is a progression in how the dishes are served.
Heavier flavors are served later in the course.
There is an ebb and flow to the menu.
For ten years, Jiro pondered wayst
0 incorporate this concept into his menu.
Seven years ago he formed the structure of the tasting course which he serves today.
From all the fish at Tsukiji market...
he chooses the highest quality fish
and creates the course menu of the day.
I was lucky enough to be the first person to try this course.
When I ate the sushi, I felt like I was listening to music.
Jiro's sushi course is like a concerto.
The meal is divided into three movements.
Classic items, like tuna and kohada,
are presented in the first movement.
HIRAME (HALIBUT)
SUMI-IKA (SQUID)
AJI (HORSE MACKEREL)
AKAMI (LEAN TUNA)
CHU-TORO (MEDIUM TUNA)
O-TORO (FATTY TUNA)
KOHADA (GIZZARD SHAD)
The items in the second movement are fresh catches of the day.
HAMAGURI (CLAM)
Certain items that can only be found seasonally are served.
SHIMA-AJI (STRIPED MACKEREL)
Some of the fish is raw, while some is cooked.
KURUMA EBI (“CAR" SHRIMP)
The second movement is like an improvisation.
It's like a cadenza.
SAYORI (HALF-BEAK)
TAKO (OCTOPUS)
In the third movement, sea eel, kanpyo,
and egg comprise a traditional finale.
SABA (MACKEREL)
UNI (SEA URCHIN)
KO BASH I RA (BAY SCALLOP')
IKURA (SALMON ROE)
There are dynamics in the way the sushi is served, just like music.
You're consuming Jiro's philosophy with every bite.
ANAGO (SALT-WATER EEL)
KANPYO-MAKI (DRIED GOURD ROLL)
TAMAGOYAKI (GRILLED EGG)
He's watching us much more closely than we're watching him.
I make the sushi different sizes depending on the customer's gender.
If I made everybody's the same size.
It would disrupt the pace of the meal.
So, I make the sushi a little smaller for the ladies.
That's incredible.
If the men and women are seated randomly does it make things difficult?
The first thing we do is memorize the seating arrangement.
If Jiro notices a guest using his left hand...
the next piece of sushi will be placed on the left side.
So, you adjust accordingly to that guest.
I'm left handed,
so I understand how left handed people feel.
That's so considerate.
Jiro is making more sushi now than ever before.
Before, customers would start with drinks.
And then they would eat appetizers.
Then they would eat four or five sushi at the end.
And then they would be full.
Now, I only make sushi from start to finish.
I make twenty pieces per person.
Jiro is the oldest chef to have been awarded three stars by Michelin.
He's in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Nobody in their eighties is working day and night like Jiro.
Jiro was given the Meikou Award by the Japanese government.
He went to the award ceremony during the day...
and was back at work here in the evening.
He said he got tired of sitting around.
When we have good tuna, I feel great.
While I'm making the sushi...
I feel victorious.
That's how it makes me feel.
Thank you for the delicious meal.
Take care of yourself!
Thank you very much.
The sushi was so delicious.
Thank you very much.
Until the end, I only want to work with the best fish.
Yoshikazu and I have meetings at night.
I tell him what I want for the next day.
He'll sometimes tell me that there isn't any good fish available.
But he still comes back with enough fish for one day.
I first noticed that good seafood was becoming scarce when...
the akagai started to disappear.
And then, the good hamaguri disappeared.
It used to be easy to get good anago.
But now they're gone.
If you have a sushi restaurant...
You'll have to find substitutes for certain types of fish.
But is there a substitute for tuna?
I don't think so.
Back when I was younger...
there was never a shortage of high quality fish.
In the past, when I would go to the market...
I could see the big tuna that were just cut open...
And I would ask them to bring out the ones I like.
That was true for any fish.
You can't find fish like that anymore.
When we were kids sushi was too expensive
to eat regularly.
Now, they have sushi on conveyor belts and in convenience stores.
Sushi is available everywhere,
which has caused a shortage of fish.
The problem is over-fishing.
The tuna stocks are declining each year.
It takes ten years for them to weigh ten kilograms.
Net fishing and bottom trawling catch everything,
even the young fish.
There should be enforced regulations on catching only bigger fish.
Catching the smaller fish before they've matured
lowers the overall number.
Businesses should balance profit with preserving natural resources.
Without fish, we can't do business.
However, that doesn't mean they should catch all the fish to the brink of extinction.
For posterity we must be conscious of this issue.
In the summer of 201 O, Jiro returned to his hometown of Hamamatsu to visit old friends.
Welcome!
It has been a while.
How are you doing?
How are you?
I'm doing great!
We're still alive!
What are you saying?
This is my oldest son.
He looks just like you.
Thank you for gathering.
When Jiro and this guy were in the first grade...
they were infamous troublemakers.
I wasn't a bully.
He was.
He was the number one troublemaker.
I was number two.
Later, when you were at school...
I was delivering lunches for military draftees.
She brought all her friends to the window...
and they all looked down at me...
and she yelled, “He's the one who bullied me!"
I said, “I'm not just bullying her,
I'm bullying everyone!"
They'll get mad at us if we go in.
You're not supposed to clap your hands at a Buddhist temple.
Of course. Did you know that?
Yes, you don't clap in a Buddhist shrine.
You're going to get in trouble.
It's okay, I'm not doing anything bad.
Where is everybody?
I haven't been here for a long time.
The flowers are dead.
Yes, they are. Just water them.
I guess we were supposed to bring flowers.
Maybe next time.
I don't know why I come here. My parents didn't take care of me.
You shouldn't say things like that in front of your ancestors.
You'll be punished.
Lots of spider webs...
When I was in school...
I was a bad kid.
Later, when I was invited to give a talk at the school...
I wasn't sure if I should tell the kids that they should study hard...
or that it is okay to be a rebel.
I wasn't sure what advice to give the kids.
Studying hard doesn't guarantee you will become a respectable person.
Even if you're a bad kid...
there are people like me who change.
I thought that would be a good lesson to teach.
But if I said that bad kids can succeed later on like I did...
all the kids would start misbehaving, which would be a problem.
Always doing what you are told doesn't mean you'll succeed in life.
There were customers today
that came to eat after seeing us on TV...
I am usually the one on TV
and I'm the one making the sushi...
which is what the customers expect.
They think that Nakazawa is just the guy who carries the fish from the kitchen.
Customers think all that Yoshikazu does is cut the fish...
They think that the staff in the kitchen have it easy.
And they think the master making sushi has the hardest job.
But in reality, the sushi is 95% complete
before the fish is brought out to me.
So, the guy who is doing the least work gets to take all the limelight.
I entrust all the preparations to these guys.
I'm in the luckiest position right now.
Customers still think that he does all the preparations.
They probably do.
They think he still does everything.
But if you think about it...
They're all just doing what I taught them.
Is sushi easily misunderstood?
The person making the sushi is almost like a performer.
It is misunderstood that way.
Compared to tempura or soba chefs...
Sushi chefs are more interesting to watch.
That may be true.
It's like the sushi chef is on a stage.
That may be true.
My job is the easiest!
If I don't keep working, my body will become worthless.
If my body stops functioning, then I will have to quit.
Or if I look too hideous to be here, then I will retire.
It's not up to me.
If the customers see me and think that I look too senile...
If that's what people think, then I will have no choice.
If I stopped working at eighty five,
I would be bored out of my mind.
I would be kicked out of the house.
My family would kick me out for being such a nuisance.
I have been able to carry on with the same job for seventy five years.
It's hard to slow down.
I guess I'm in the last stretch of the race.
The Michelin inspectors said, “Jiro's sushi is incredible every time."
They said, “Three stars is the only rating that is adequate for the restaurant."
Later on, I heard...
During the first year Jiro's was checked by Michelin...
Jiro didn't make sushi for Michelin even once.
Yoshikazu was the one who made sushi for them.
I want both of my sons to continue on.
They both will run their own restaurants.
I will admit I trained my sons more strictly than the other apprentices.
But I did so for the sake of their future.
Not because I wanted to be mean to them.
It's something that I though about from the beginning.
Even if I were to be gone right now,
I know they can go on.
Yoshikazu just needs to keep it up for the rest of his life.
That's what is most important.
He should just keep doing the same for the rest of his life.
Always...
look ahead and above yourself.
Always try...
to improve on yourself.
Always strive to elevate your craft.
That's what he taught me.