Underplayed Gems

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Jiro Dreams of Sushi poster
Directed by
David Gelb
Genre
documentary film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 21m
Rated
PG
Rating
7.7 of 10 from 780 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

The film follows Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old sushi master who runs a tiny 10-seat Michelin three-star restaurant in a Tokyo subway station. It also looks at his two sons, one who left to open a similar restaurant and the elder who will eventually take over.

meditativereverentslow-pacedintimateobsessivecalmrespectfuldetail-focused

What happens

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a 2011 Japanese-language American documentary film directed by David Gelb. The film follows Jiro Ono (小野 二郎, Ono Jirō), a then-85-year-old sushi master and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, then a Michelin three-star restaurant. Sukiyabashi Jiro is a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. As of 2026, Jiro Ono serves a tasting menu of roughly 20 courses, for a minimum of JP¥88,000 (US$557). The film also profiles Jiro's two sons, both of whom are also sushi chefs. The younger son, Takashi (隆士), left Sukiyabashi Jiro to open a mirror image of his father's restaurant in Roppongi Hills. The 50-year-old elder son, Yoshikazu (禎一), obliged to succeed his father, still works for Jiro and is faced with the prospect of one day taking over the flagship restaurant. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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