This audio is generated by AI, so pronunciation and expressions may not be fully accurate. The narration is only in English.
Sukiyabashi Jiro opened its doors in 1965 in Ginza, an area considered to be at the heart of Tokyo. The restaurant was established by Ono Jiro, who began working at a ryori-ryokan (traditional Japanese inn renowned for its cuisine) at the age of 7, trained in a Japanese restaurant after World War II, then became a sushi chef at 25, before opening the restaurant at 40. The name "Sukiyabashi Jiro" was chosen for the restaurant's proximity to the Sukiyabashi Crossing, with "Jiro" written with one Kanji character different from his name, as he felt it looked better that way on the restaurant sign.
Jiro honed his skills as a sushi chef by upholding the traditional Edomae sushi style that has been passed down since the Edo period (1603-1868), while incorporating his own innovations and dedication to artistry. His mastery gradually gained recognition among food connoisseurs, culminating in international attention in 2011 with the release of the American documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which followed Jiro's daily life. In 2014, then-US President Barack Obama, reportedly having seen the film, visited Sukiyabashi Jiro as a state guest during his trip to Japan, accompanied by then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, with his glowing praise of the sushi garnering widespread media coverage.
Remarkably, Jiro—who turns 100 this year—was shaping sushi behind the counter, as restaurant owner, until just last year. Today, the artistry of the restaurant is carried on by his eldest son and current head chef, Ono Yoshikazu.
"I didn't originally plan to become a sushi chef. Back in high school, I wanted to become a race car driver, and even got a license for it."
Yoshikazu says that it was a single remark from his father—"You think you can make a living off of something like that!?"—that drove him into the world of sushi.
"Having grown up in an age of poverty and been sent out to work as a child, my father knew very, very well the importance of having a skill that could put food on the table. And since I was the eldest son, he must have also wanted me to take over the restaurant to some extent."
Under his father's orders, Yoshikazu began his training at a traditional Japanese restaurant in Tokyo's Akasaka area. After five years, he was called back, and began his intense training to become a sushi chef.
"There were already several apprentices at the restaurant, but my father was especially strict with me and my younger brother. He never explained things in words—it was always 'Watch and learn. Watch and steal the techniques.' We got yelled at all the time. He was harsher with us than with the other apprentices, because he didn't want them to think we were getting special treatment just because we were family. Though, I didn't understand that it was an act of parental love and discipline until later."
There are two different ways to write sushi in Kanji characters, and there is also a distinction between regular sushi and Edomae sushi. Yoshikazu explains the differences between them.
"Sushi written in the usual way refers to pressed sushi, like battera or bozushi, which is made by pressing rice and fish into boxes or wooden frames, that are delicious even when cold, and are more common in the Kansai region in western Japan. Edomae sushi, on the other hand, refers to hand-pressed nigiri. A slice of neta (sliced seafood topping) is placed on shari (vinegared sushi rice), brushed with nikiri soy sauce (brush-on sweet soy sauce), and served to be eaten immediately. Originally, in the Edo period, sushi chefs would pack nigiri into tubs and sell it as street food, and later, it was sold at food stalls on the street. It came to be called Edomae because they used seafood caught in the Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay), or maybe because it was the Edo (Tokyo) counterpart to Kansai's pressed sushi. The less common Kanji character for sushi is made up of the radical for 'fish' combined with the character for 'delicious,' which is quite poetic."
The greatest point of dedication at the Edomae sushi restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, is the shari.
"Sushi, at its core, is a dish meant to have people enjoy rice. So we of course carefully select the rice itself, but the most important thing is the temperature of the shari. We prepare it so that it can be served at about 40 degrees Celsius, close to body temperature. The neta is then placed on top, and the rice is gently formed to include just the right amount of air, so that it is firm enough not to fall apart when picked up with chopsticks. The way the sushi is formed is where a sushi chef's skills truly lie. The grains of rice can't be crushed; the texture has to be soft and airy, allowing the shari to gently break apart in the mouth, with the neta and shari gliding smoothly down the throat together as one. We also adjust the amount of rice—making the shari smaller to make it easier for older guests or women to eat, for example—always paying close attention to each customer as they enjoy their meal at the counter, and fine-tuning everything accordingly."
Sukiyabashi Jiro's omakase course begins with akami (lean tuna).
Karei (flatfish) requires a longer resting period during the prep stage.
Sumi-ika (ink squid) is available year-round, across all seasons.
Shima-aji (striped jack) is a rare treat at Sukiyabashi Jiro, only served in the summer.
Yoshikazu can sense the fattiness of chutoro (medium fatty tuna) the second he grasps it.
To be considered a full-fledged sushi chef, one must prepare kohada (gizzard shad) well.
Awabi (abalone) is known as the king of summer shellfish.
The fat content of katsuo (bonito) can only be assessed once filleted.
Despite following tuna in the omakase, aji (horse mackerel) is so popular that many request another.
Hamaguri (common orient clam) is considered a classic of Edomae sushi.
Joël Robuchon, the "emperor" of French cuisine, praised the uni (sea urchin) highly during his visit.
Kobashira (baby scallops) are the adductor muscles of the Japanese trough shell.
Even Jiro said that anago (sea eel), simmered until exceptionally tender, is difficult to form.
Tamagoyaki (Japanese egg omelet) is served as the final dish for the omakase.
Jiro's carefully-honed vinegar blend has been developed into a retail product with a food manufacturer.
The key to the flavor of the shari lies in the vinegar. Jiro was uncompromising in creating his own blend of vinegar, and perfected it to create a unique and original flavor. His son Yoshikazu, who inherited this technique, has continued to refine the flavor, and has collaborated with food manufacturers to develop a retail version of his father's original vinegar.
Of course, their commitment extends to the preparation of the neta as well. Take the bonito, for instance. While many restaurants sear it using a gas flame or torch, at Sukiyabashi Jiro, it is seared with straw inside of the restaurant, as it has been since Jiro's time.
"Bonito skin naturally has a strong fishy smell. Sure, it's easy to sear it with a torch, but that fishy smell doesn't go away. When you sear it over straw, though, the smoke that rises up lightly smokes the fish, eliminates the odor from the skin, and adds a subtle smokiness that makes it more delicious. Of course, using straw takes more time and effort, but that's the work of us artisans. Whether it's preparing the shari or the seafood, 95% of the job of a sushi chef is in the prep work."
The dedication and artistry discussed by Yoshikazu were all inherited from his father. Since becoming a sushi chef, he has spent his career following in his father's footsteps. His goal has always been to catch up to the man often revered as the "god of sushi"—his father, Jiro.
"I still haven't caught up. Just like the title of the documentary, my father truly dreams of sushi—specifically, ways to make it even more delicious. And the moment he wakes up, he'll try out whatever ideas have come to him. I've never had an experience like that. It was only about six months ago that he praised me, telling me there was probably no better sushi chef in the world. But I still don't believe I'll ever catch up to him in my lifetime. Because even if I take one step forward, my father is always a hundred or even a thousand steps ahead of me."
Yoshikazu believes that it is Ginza's location at the heart of Tokyo that makes it the cultural core of Japan, home to top-tier establishments that attract discerning visitors from around the world, with sharp eyes and refined palates. For that very reason, he feels a strong sense of responsibility to continue showcasing the appeal of real sushi from this iconic area.
One piece of advice from his father that Yoshikazu has always kept close to his heart is to make better sushi today than you did yesterday, and even better tomorrow than today. These words of wisdom remain his guiding principle, and he is determined to pass them on to his apprentices.
"Becoming a true craftsperson means learning how to endure. Knowing how to properly fillet, clean, and prepare seasonal fish to bring out the best flavor... If a certain fish is only in season once a year, then after ten years of training, you've only had ten chances to do it. It's not easy to learn, which is why you always have to think hard and train hard while persevering through the tough times. My goal now is to raise and guide these kinds of real sushi chefs."
