Comment by staunch
13 years ago
One could probably make 100,000 more documentaries approximately identical to this one at other family owned businesses. The only thing particularly unique about this place is that it came to the attention of Michelin and then a documentarian. I don't mean that as a knock against Jiro's place at all, I just think the filmmaker overplayed the story. That and the combination of Japan and sushi made the situation seem even more exotic and rare than it really is.
It was entertaining though. I especially liked the part when he said something like "Welp. I'm ready to go. Why am I even here [at his parent's shrine]. My parents treated me like crap."
I'm not sure there are 100,000 family-owned businesses where the owner has 75 years+ experience, spends 15+ hours a day at work and takes their job so seriously. I've worked in kitchens that were highly-rated in their own cities, but they never approached the exacting all-around level of quality and detail of Jiro's restaurant. If you've ever worked in the food industry, you'd definitely know the care they take in all steps of their process blows away all but the best of the best restaurants and I believe the stars from Michelin reflect that.
Sometimes it's not about being unique or being the hardest-working in the world. A well-told human story can often inspire.