Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Sushi chef Jiro Ono has been called the Michael Jordan of Sushi.

“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is the #2 documentary in my List of Best Chef Documentaries (18 of them ranked!).

Trailer for “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”

Watch “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”

You can stream “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” for free on

Tubi at https://tubitv.com/movies/499305/jiro-dreams-of-sushi
Kanopy at https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/jiro-dreams-sushi-1
Hoopla at https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11488915 (both require a library card or college ID)

You can also watch “Jiro” for free with ads on:

You can also watch “Jiro” on these subscription sites:

Hulu at https://www.hulu.com/movie/ca4ffa60-88a5-4fc6-bd00-597a0441dc35
Amazon’s Prime Video at https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/0H384IMBE753OM1URQ6FJXD4YX/ (though it might be coming off in 2024)
Fubo at https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/program/MV003636870000/jiro-dreams-of-sushi

…or stream it for $$ on Apple TV, Vudu, Flix Fling, Google Play and Microsoft.com.

Check here for most of the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/jiro-dreams-of-sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi Started off Streaming on Netflix

Jiro Dreams of Sushi was first released on Netflix on August 28, 2012.

It had a 3 year run on Netflix but was removed from the streamer on August 23, 2015.

Ratings:

My Rating: 98/100
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91/100 (Users); 99/100 (Critics)

Director’s Note — “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is directed by David Gelb. It his breakout film.

Gelb later went on to create Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” (which I rank #1 here: “The Best Chef Documentaries” (out of 19!). He also directed the “Stan Lee” documentary (which is solid but not as compelling as “Jiro”) and numerous other films.

My Review of “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”

The Setup

I have to be honest, I’m more of a burrito guy than a raw sushi guy.

But, man, the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi might have converted me.

Directed by David Gelb, this 81-minute doc shows the inside the world of Jiro Ono.

He’s the 85-year-old maestro behind Tokyo’s legendary sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro.

You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up

The restaurant is Michelin 3-stars, despite being tiny (10-seats) in a random location (a Tokyo subway station!).
Diners pay over $300 for a 20-course meal that lasts just about 30 minutes
Attention to Detail — Jiro Ono adjusts the size of each sushi piece based on the gender of the customer and places sushi differently for left- or right-handed diners.
Jiro massages octopus for over 40 minutes to achieve the ideal texture

Highlights from the Doc

After being abandoned by his father and made homeless at the age of nine, he started working in a sushi restaurant to support himself
This dude is insanely dedicated to his craft – we’re talking waking up at 5am every day to pick out the absolute best fish kind of dedication.
Even after earning 3 Michelin stars and worldwide acclaim, Jiro says “All I want to do is make better sushi.”
With only 10 seats, Sukiyabashi Jiro is booked months in advance and starts at $300 a person.
At age 50, eldest son Yoshikazu is still waiting in the wings to take over the restaurant.
The restaurant’s exclusivity and unique reservation system eventually led to its removal from the Michelin Guide in 2019, not because of a drop in quality, but because reservations became inaccessible to the general public

Wrap Up

Even if you don’t dig on raw fish, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is a great watch.

It’s about a man who has dedicated his life to being the absolute best at one thing.

Thanks for reading!

Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc