Message from hdao

[Anonymous]

A movie that was an absolute pleasure to watch was “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” a documentary by David Gelb, about a renowned sushi chef with a small unassuming sushi restaurant located, of all places, in a subway station in Tokyo, Japan. Jiro makes only sushi. There are no appetizers or main courses, and for his highly specialized craft, he has received 3 Michelin Stars, the most prestigious and coveted award that can be granted to any chef. Jiro Ono has been making sushi for over seven decades. He started when he left home at the age of 10 and has perfected the art. He has passed on the craft to his two sons, who hope to carry on the tradition of their father, in spite of the pressure of being measure against their father’s almost mythic reputation.

As an educator and teacher of students with learning disabilities, I really appreciate the ideas of the master and apprentice and the rewards of hard work and attention to details. Honor and pride does not follow awards and accolades, it is the other way around. Long years of hard work and determination bring about honor and pride, which in the end are rewarded with praise and recognition. Towards the end of the movie, reflecting back on his childhood Jiro says, “Studying hard doesn’t guarantee you will become a respectable person. Even if you are a bad kid…there are people like me who change.” This is also a story about a person who found his passion and set himself on the path to perfecting his work.

“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” has lessons for students today. The idea of becoming an expert in anything has been lost in the west. Nowadays, kids are expected to learn about literally everything, and the tradition of master and apprentice has faded along with the pride of workmanship. Jiro and his sons repeat that they don’t do it for the money. Though they get paid well, what gets them up in the morning is the desire to elevate their craft to another level. It is a sublime way of life that few, even the biggest workaholic, cannot understand. Yet it is an important lesson that should be taught to young people in schools when we talk about careers and the role of education in their lives.

I plan on using this film as a lead into a writing assignment for the last unit of the year when students will consider the essential question of “Where do we belong?” They will read a number of passages exploring community and the various roles that they might play in it. The unit will touch on some existential themes, but more importantly they will be questioning what they will be doing the rest of their lives as they anticipate graduation from high school. The goal is for students to take from the movie some key lessons before embarking on the next leg of their journey to adulthood. They should be able to state 1-2 explicit ways they can apply the lessons from the movie, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”
edited by hdao on 8/15/2016