In David Gelb’s documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Gelb follows the renowned sushi chef, Jiro Ono, and his prestigious restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro. Jiro Ono has been in the sushi business for over 75 years and still is as involved in it now as he was years ago, even at his age. His reason, Jiro says, that he is not retiring is because he loves what he does and does not feel like retiring. Jiro Ono in all his time being a sushi chef, he has always delivered beyond what was expected of him. At first, it was because of survival and then it was because he needed to make his craft better. In the opening of the film, Jiro talks of his “visions of sushi” that would wake him out of his dreams because of the ideas circling around in his head about how to improve. However, as much as some would hope that it were not the case, when the inevitable happens and Jiro Ono either retires or passes away, who would take over the business? In Japanese culture, it is expected that the oldest son takes over for the father and live up to the legacy created by the father. For Yoshikazu Ono, his father, Jiro, has created such a legacy that there is doubt that he can live up to the expectations. Nevertheless, Yoshikazu can live up to the legacy of his father, but the question becomes, at what cost to himself? Yoshikazu would have to spend the rest of his life, dedicating himself to a craft that is not something he loves. In addition Yoshikazu will always have the shadow of his fathers’ greatness above his head for the rest of his life in a silent but constant competition, and he would have to be consistent and perfect in his sushi because the of the high cost of failure.
First, Jiro Ono’s legacy began when he started out on his own at age nine and was for...
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All things considered, the ultimate cost of Yoshikazu living under the his fathers’ legacy would be the loss of himself under all the pressure he would face from himself, the customers, and the shadow of his father that will always bear down on him. Regrettably for Yoshikazu, he was the first son, so he can not make the same changes that his younger brother did because he is held to a higher standard by both his father and the society because he is the successor to Jiro Ono’s legacy. Not only much he preserve the legacy by working hard and continuing his work, but he must also build a legacy for himself. The expectations will be high, as will the cost of failure and the pressures, but if Yoshikazu can be take a page from his fathers’ book and remain dedicated and consistent, the cost to Yoshikazu, may be great, but the rewards would be worth the sacrifices.
When Fred Karimian started The Ohio State University Jeet Kune Do club in 1982-83 (which later became the Do-Jung-Ishu Club) he said the basic goal of the club is to show what he knew about martial arts and fighting. A part of that goal as he often said, speaking with an Iranian accent, “…is not to become so famous.” Fred did become well known as a fierce fighter and he could have easily become famous, but he chose another path and continues to this day to be very successful in his finance career and as a husband and father.
between giving up his culture, which in turn implies the inevitability of losing traditions in
loosing his children and he knows that no one can help him if he does.
Mathews, Gordon. 1996. What Makes Life Worth Living? How Japanese and Americans Make Sense of Their Worlds.Berkeley: University of California Press.
Nitobe has become a forgotten figure in both Japan and in other countries throughout the years since 1945. In the limelight, he was Japans premiere internationalist and cultural interpreter. He is, since his death, recognized as a reminder of the unforgettable past. He also had acquired the reputation of an apologist for Japans militarism. In the 1930’s Philippine leaders used the bushido code to form a new national identity; trying to achieve goals in foreign and domestic policy. Japanese students saw him as a symbol for emasculation because they didn’t agree with his thoughts on masculinity and felinity. Nitobe had opposed the Japanese government in the early 1930’s and had planned to take over the American Lecture Tour.
People like Mizutani, a former apprentice of Jiro, and Yamamoto, a food critic, are interviewed. The honest opinions help show the deeper meaning of Jiro and his worth ethics. Yamamoto and Mizutani serve as narrators that tell the story of why Jiro is considered to be the most successful sushi chef of all time. For instance, Yamamoto says “I’ve seen many chefs who are self-critical, but I’ve never seen another chef who is so hard on himself” (site). Yamamoto provides an insight on how Jiro is successful because Jiro is always looking ahead and is never satisfied with his work. He describes Jiro as always looking for new ways to make sushi better and improve his skills. Mizutani a former apprentice is interviewed during the documentary and provides an insight on how Jiro’s son, Yoshikazu will have great difficulty taking his place. “Even if Yoshikazu makes the same level of sushi, it will be seen as inferior” (Quote). This interview shows how Jiro is the hardest worker and his work ethic is that to run a restaurant you need to be tough. Another interview with Yamamoto describes the five things a chef needs to be successful. These five things are: “they take all their work very seriously and consistently perform to the highest level, they aspire to improve their skills. Cleanliness. If the restaurant doesn’t feel clean, the food isn’t going to taste good. Impatience. They are better leaders than collaborators; they are stubborn and insist on having it their way. Finally, a great chef is passionate”
The Japanese-born Ono said she doesn't think John ever sealed the deal because he never found anyone who reached his high standards of beauty and intellect. That was before he was assassinated
In Document 21-4, Kaibara Ekiken and his wife Kaibara Token discussed the obligated teachings for Japanese children and the greater learnings of women. Throughout their childhood, children are expected to obtain knowledge and to learn certain sets of skills. Specifically, at precise ages, the child is taught certain expertise. Children are placed under the guidance of teachers. High borns are given teachers who could teach them how to govern and lead well.
When Fujisawa was in his first year at Kyoka Middle School, Kanto Earthquake destroyed the family’s belongings. The Jitsueisha was destroyed and Fujisawa’s father was left with nothing. He had no money, the only thing he could do was burrow and live on. Later he planned to work in the movie industry but the tremendous amount of work he had made after the disaster had wrecked his health and he became an invalid. young Fujisawa hoped to became a teacher buts failed the official Tokyo school examinations, He worked as a professional copyist, writing addresses on envelopes in order to support the family. This used so much time, he was not able to read his books to study for the examinations. To day we look at how successful Mr.fujisawa is today,
Growing up a poor boy in a poor country is hard. When you dad’s the village fool, it makes it even worse; your sense of worth is low, and you must fight every day to rectify the mistakes of your father and prove your own worth basically reestablishing your name as one of truth and goodness. You must work twice as hard for half the reward as Okonkwo does to establish himself as a different person than his father. Making the choice to be a different man; he made good business decisions, worked tirelessly and raised his children with a strict set of rules he never had. Motivated purely by the ceaseless though of being better than his father, or at least being perceived as better. Being so focused and narrow-minded you can lose sight of the importance of your family and their wellbeing, leading to everything falling apart.
Shawn starting skateboarding as a pre-teen and would continue to skate every single day until recent years. He enjoyed going to the skating parks where the culture was all about individuality and incorporating your own spin of creativity into different tricks. Shawn was driven to change the perception of what it meant to be a skateboarder and break down some of the rebellious stigmas. While chasing his dream to become a professional skateboarder in this melting pot of a sport, he learned how important it is not to judge others and how valuable getting to know them is.
Okonkwo held his family accountable for his lively decisions but doesn’t show it in view of leadership
Unoka – Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was considered lazy and a failure. He never worked and always took from others. Okonkwo considered him a complete embarrassment and vowed never to be like his father. He had to hate what Unoka once loved, and never borrow money or stop working.
Here the irony is undeniably present. To commit suicide is to offend the Earth, as believed by the people of Umuofia. It is said that to kill oneself “is an abomination for a man… his body is evil, and only strangers may touch it” (207). Suicide is regarded as a grave sin and a shameful way of dying, and any man who commits suicide is seen as a failure and weak. Okonkwo is just that: a failure and weak. Okonkwo spends his whole life trying to be seen as a success and continuously performs act of strength even though he sometimes has to pay a price for it. In the end he pays the highest price of all, which is his life, and all his efforts to be successful become useless. He is now a shame and a failure in the eyes of his clan, just as his father had been.
In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Okonkwo’s relationship with his father affects all of his actions. In his childhood, Okonkwo was exposed to ignominy because his father, Unoka, was not respected by the rest of Umuofia, the village they lived in. In adulthood, Okonkwo’s shame grows with him and with the shame comes a fear of being like his father. He spends his whole life avoiding acting like his father and ultimately fails in his death. Okonkwo became ashamed of his father in childhood and this shame affected his behaviour throughout his life and ultimately lead to him dying in similar circumstances to his father.