Japanese Culture In The Documentary : Jiro Dreams Of Sushi

Japans society is a culture that is highly resistant to change; a society that places a high value on each member’s conformity within highly structured layers of Japanese society. Japan is an island nation, consisting of the four large islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Together they are approximately the size of Germany or the State of California, and it has a population of approximately 126 million people Japan has a large population in relation to its land mass and as a consequence most Japanese people live crowded together in an urban corridor squeezed along the eastern edge of the Japanese islands. A result of this crowding is that Japanese place a high value on public harmony and the avoidance of any conflict, especially in public. Japanese norms require people to be willing to apologize and humble themselves, so much so that even after a minor auto accident each driver will jump out of their vehicle and bow to each other and apologize, instead of risking a very public confrontation. Frequently, Japanese will also employ the use of a go-between to negotiate a possible marriage. In this way, an individual can turn down a bride or groom without rejecting them to their face, thereby avoiding open disagreement or embarrassment of an individual. The Japanese culture is one that is rich within an historical and traditional context. Many of the traditional practices established hundreds of years ago can be seen today in modern Japan and are a direct reflection

For Americans, World War II began on December 7, 1941 with the attack of Pearl Harbor, but war had been going on for years elsewhere. In the Eastern Hemisphere, war had been going on for several years with the help of two communist powers; Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Stalin by signing the nonaggression pact accepted Germanys plan to invade Poland. Hitler quickly invaded Poland in a blitzkrieg (lightning war). France and England acted quickly by declaring war on Germany, and because the Japanese had planned so extensively they had a neutrality treaty with the Soviet Union signed in case they were to go into war with the U.S. and England. This becomes the European war, which is greatly known as WW2 when the United States, Japan, and England

2001. Supply-Side Sushi: Commodity, Market, and the Global City. American Anthropologist Volume 103 (1): 76-95. Jstor, www.jstor.org, November 22, 2010.

People no longer use the term “Japanese American” in today's society. Instead, they are no longer thought as a separate group and are incorrectly categorized as “Asian American”, along with Vietnamese American, Chinese American, etc. Japanese Americans have an extremely unique background in terms of their origins, history, and struggle with racialization. Like many ethnic groups, Japanese Americans have been subjected to many different portrayals throughout American history. Even though cultural separation and suspicion are deemed as immoral, such practices toward them were thought to be necessary by the American Government. For a good amount of time, they suffered from racial hostility and violence. Now, in an age where cultural diversity

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese Navy bombed and ultimately destroyed the United States Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This sneak attack by the Japanese bombers drug the United States into WWII. The attack caused panic and hysteria throughout the United States, because this was the first attack against Americans, and on their own soil. Following the attack, about 1,500 Japanese suspects were gathered by American security to be arrested. Pressure from anti-Japanese media propaganda, local patriotic groups, and politicians requested for removal of all Japanese Americans. On February 19, 1942, then President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, giving authorization to the military to designate “military areas” where “any or all persons may be excluded”. Any being from Japanese heritage was put in an internment camp in western inland United States. When being evacuated, humans of Japanese heritage lost all property and possessions to

For many years Japan isolated themselves from the world causing them to miss out on benefits of the Industrial Revolution. Once Japan realized how far behind they were in technology, they opened their gates to foreigners. This led the Boshin War, a civil war between the remaining Samurais and the rest of the country pushing for a more modern and foreign influenced country. The film the “The Last Samurai” does a wonderful job depicting Japanese culture during the Boshin War. It shows how Japanese manners, fighting methods, clothing, honor, and ultimately their entire way of life is different from those in the U.S.

He is a blissful craftsman who truly enjoys his work, which keeps him vital at his age. "Once you decide on your occupation," says Jiro, "you must immerse yourself in your work and never complain (Iwashina, Pellegrini, & Ono, 2011). Jiro considers this to be the secret to success and the key to being regarded honorably. Set in Japanese context, the film is a fine representation of culinary practice and work ethics. Apprentices must work long hours with modest income, but the reward lies in the craft itself. The modern socio-cultural perception overlooks such belief. Western culture is more inclined towards making quick money in the shortest period of time. Tradition and culture are equally significant for Jiro’s family. Having worked under his father since the age of 19, Yoshikazu has become a chef of equal skill. Ironically, he believes himself as unworthy of his father’s legacy. For Japanese families, success is essential, but for Jiro’s sons, success means much more. As Yoshikazu explains, “Always look beyond and above yourself. Always try to improve on yourself. Always strive to elevate your craft. That’s what he taught me” (Iwashina, Pellegrini, & Ono, 2011). Jiro’s success could grant him retirement in an exotic location, yet he considers his craft his reward in life. His expression of self-dedication never waivers. His focus in life centers around his family and continuing to master the art of

The 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi by the American director David Gelb is about an 85-year old sushi master named Jiro Ono and his Michelin 3-star rated restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro in a Tokyo subway station. Like many films about food, Jiro Dreams of Sushi shows artfully arranged and delicious-looking sushi with a tasteful background of classical music. Naturally, after watching a movie about sushi, anyone would want to make a reservation and book a flight to Japan. However, there is more to this documentary than the food alone. The story of Jiro 's quest to perfect the craft of making sushi and presenting it in his restaurant for the

Upon reading about Kelly’s assignment and the problems that she faced while being chosen to work in Japan, it seems as though she along with her family had a difficult time adjusting to the different culture and customs that working overseas can bring. Kelly was selected by a process known as expatriate selection, which is the “selection of personnel for overseas assignments” (Deresky, 2014, p. 278). Her boss believed that due to her performance in her regular domestic setting, she would prove that she would do well while working abroad. However, it seems as though her boss may have overlooked certain cross-cultural factors that are important for international business matters.

Trying to ignore the call of his name, Jiro kept walking. However, after taking many steps he heard the voice calling his name again.

In Toshie: A Story of Village Life in Twentieth-Century Japan, published in 2004, author Simon Partner offers an insight on the transformation that underwent Japan through the mid-twentieth century through the life of Sakaue Toshie, a woman born and raised on a farm in the Kosugi hamlet of Yokogoshi, Niigata—a rural region almost 250km from the capital of Japan. Toshie was born in 1925—a year before the 64-year reign of Showa Era by Emperor Hirohito. This was a time when “two out of every ten babies died in childbirth or infancy,”(1) and Toshie’s family, who were poor tenant farmers renting a mere one acre of land, “were not far above”(2) those that were “literally unable to support themselves.”(2). Kosugi was virtually isolated especially

Although the foreign appropriation of Sushi often forgoes many of the traditional methods in exchange for creative combinations and extravagant ingredients, there still exists a desire for the delicate art of a master. Mamoru Sugiyama, master chef of Michelin-star sushi restaurant Ginza

Jizo a popular deity within Japanese culture also holds great spiritual significance within the society as it is believed to ease suffering, through the answering of the living. Jizo is considered a friend to all who bids blessings to those who seek success, good health, fertility, and safety. Jizo is also known as the protector of travelers, as these statues are commonly located along roads, and intersections. Jizo is seen within areas that are believed to be borders between both the physical and spiritual world, in aiding lost souls mostly unborn children or children who have died at young ages. Jizo are mostly depicted as protectors of children and is depicted as a friendly and child-like

There are two documentaries from The Water Brothers program,“The End of Sushi” and “Ocean Spies” (2017) were presented by Alex and Tyler. Furthermore, Alex and Tyler explain in these two documentaries that a high demand for sushi and the illegal fishing are causing a huge damage to the planet. In The first documentary “The End of Sushi”, Alex and Tyler indicate that sushi has become a global dish, which leads to increase the demand for several marine species such as tuna. Furthermore, this is causing the ocean to become more unhealthy and ruin the natural balance. Moreover, the presenters also mention that most of the sushi restaurants make so many choices and use several marine species which caused more damage to the environment. Also, fisherman

The movie I decided to watch and do my assignment was on the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi. This is a documentary movie about an 85 year old Japanese man named Jiro Ono that loves to make sushi. Jiro has been making sushi ever since he was a young child. He loves making sushi so much that he even dreams of it at night. He owns a small restaurant in Tokyo at a subway station named Sukiyabashi. The restaurant only has a 10 bar seat capacity which makes it more difficult for people to have his sushi as often as they wished. Some people make reservations as much as one year in advance when they know they are coming to Tokyo. A typical average night eating at Sukiyabashi can cost about $300 dollars. People from all over the world come to taste the best sushi that everyone is talking about. Jiro is a well-known chef that built his reputation throughout the years and has been awarded a prestigious