What is a professional ?

I watched the movie "Jiro Dream of Sushi" on DVD lately. I learned what is a professional for the first time for a long while. This movie is a documentary movie directed by American director David Grelb.  This movie is focused on Jiro Ono and his son's longstanding insistence on sushi. He runs sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo which is awarded a prestigious three-star Michelin Guide rating for five years consecutivly. 

There are tons of luxury sushi restaurants in Tokyo and these restaurants not only have high quality sushi, but also good interior and amazing hospitality.  I wonder how JIro got the three-star award even though his restaurant is tiny with only ten seats, no-restroom inside, serving only sushi and unfriendly attitude compared to these other competitors. Does his sushi have a remarkable taste? My interest is only this point.

I've never been there, but I think through this movie, the main reason is not only sushi taste itself, but also his amazing persistence  for preparation process "Shikomi" to get high quality sushi item and also his challenging spirit is another reason which never stops even though he is eighty-six years old.

It's no wonder that sushi chef insistence on sushi stuff(neta), but his persistence  for preparation is also amazing. He roasts the best see weed by high quality bincho charcoal every day and he mixes many kind of high quality rice and cooks them separately for each customer. In addition, he puts his glove when he goes out to protect his hands. As you can see, there are a lot of JIro's amazing persistence  for preparation than you could count. So, these incredible insistence with uncompromising stance makes his sushi amazing.

In addition, his inquiring mind is not ordinary that he is thinking how to make his sushi better all the time and he tries so many times. He was sent out to an apprenticeship to local fancy Japanese-style restaurant when he was seven and he has been standing at kitchen about eighty years and he is now eighty six. However, he still tries to improve himself. It's not easy to follow his style isn't it? His succeeding son Yoshikazu respects him and tries to be his father's assistant in their restaurant. In other words, he is true professional guy who we can't find in present Japan.

Now, Japanese society needs a person who has amazing persistence and passion to improve like him, don't we?

He gives young people candid advice like "young people seems to look for a job that fits to them and look for a job that they can express their individuality. However, it's not good way of thinking. The original meaning is that people should adjust to a job"

I feel  his karma as professional sushi-chef from his words that I don't think I'm perfect even though I'm eighty six.

I believe that this movie is good and easy to understand for young people. So, I hope this movie will be released in Japan. I recommend to watch it if you have a chance.

Written in Oct 24

http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/

日本語版

プロフェッショナルとは

最近DVDで「Jiro Dream of Sushi」という映画をみた。久々にプロフェッショナルとは何かという事を学びました。この映画はミシュラン日本版で３年連続３つ星を獲得した鮨店「すきやばし次郎」の店主、小野次郎さんと後を継ぐ息子さんたちの寿司に対するこだわりに焦点を当てたアメリカ人監督のDavid Grelbが製作したインタビュー中心のドキュメンタリー映画である。

東京には高級寿司店が数えきれないくらいありそれらの店では鮨の質だけでなく店の雰囲気、サービスも当然一流である。そのような店を押さえてなぜ不便な地下にあってトイレも無く１０席ほどしか無いこじんまりとした店で握り鮨しか出さない無愛想な店主の握る鮨が5年連続で３つ星を取れたのでしょうか？それほどずば抜けた味なのでしょうか？私の興味はその１点でした。

私はもちろん次郎で食べた事はありませんが映画を見て感じたのは単なる鮨の味だけでなくそこにたどり着くまでのプロセスに対する拘りが圧倒的でまた８６歳になった今も更に向上しようとする姿勢にあるという事かなと思いました。

鮨屋ですからネタに拘るのは当然として、ただそれだけではなく最高級の海苔を毎日炭火で炙って最高の香りが引き出せるように仕込んだり最高のシャリを作る為に最高のコメをさらにブレンドしてお客際の来店に合わせて分けて炊くなど次郎さんの仕込みに対する並外れたこだわりは枚挙にいとまがない。他にも外出時には手を保護するための手袋を欠かさないなど小野二郎さんの妥協しない仕事への凄みが味となり表れているのだろう。

あとこのような桁違いの拘りに加えて日々もっと美味しくするにはどうしたら良いのかという事を考え実行して行くという姿勢が尋常ではない。７歳から地元の料亭に奉公にでて８０年近く厨房に立ち続けて来て現在８６歳。それでもさらに向上しようとする考えはなかなか真似出来る物ではないですね。跡を継ぐ息子の禎一さんもそんな偉大な父親を尊敬し今でも店では彼のサポート役に徹しています。まさに彼は今の日本にはいなくなった本物の職人だと思います。

今の日本の社会に必要なのは彼のようなこれぞ職人と呼べるような仕事に対するこだわりと向上し続ける気持ちを持った人では無いでしょうか？彼は若い人たちに対してこのような苦言も呈しています。今の若者は「自分に合う仕事」を探そうとし、「自分らしさを表現できる仕事」を求めようとするけどそうではなく「仕事というものは、本来、自分の方が仕事に合わせるものだ」と。

二郎さんの「この年になっても完璧だって思ってないからね」という彼の言葉に、職人という生き方の業のようなものを感じます。

この映画は若いひとにも伝わると思うのでぜひ日本でも公開して欲しいと思いますね。機会があればぜひご覧ください。