Jiro Dreams of Sushi Page #5

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.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote