🎙️ Founders Episode 397 - Jiro Ono: Simplicity is the Ultimate Advantage
In Episode 397 of the Founders podcast, titled "Jiro Ono: Simplicity is the Ultimate Advantage," explores the remarkable life and philosophy of Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old sushi master considered the greatest in the world.
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Drawing primarily from the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," which the host meticulously transcribed and analyzed, the episode offers a profound exploration of Jiro's unwavering dedication to his craft, his pursuit of perfection through simplicity, and the Japanese concept of shokunin, the master craftsman who devotes their life to mastering a skill. This summary captures the key themes and insights from the episode, highlighting Jiro's relentless pursuit of excellence, his innovative approaches to sushi-making, and the business principles that have made his tiny 10-seat restaurant a global destination.
A Life Defined by Craftsmanship and Dedication
Jiro Ono's story is one of extraordinary devotion to a single craft. As the host notes, "For his entire 75 year career, Jiro was solely focused on serving his customer and making the very best product for them." From the moment he decided on his occupation, he immersed himself completely, following his own advice: "Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That is the secret of success and is the key to being regarded honorably."
This dedication manifested in daily routines that would seem unthinkable to most people. Jiro repeats the same routine every day, even boarding the train from the same position. He dislikes holidays, finding them too long, and prefers to return to work. His life exemplifies the Japanese concept of shokunin, a master craftsman who possesses not just technical skill but a moral duty to perfect their craft for the benefit of society. As the host explains, shokunin "tend to have a lot of similar traits, regardless of what that craft happens to be. Dedication to excellence in one's craft will be present in every single shokunin."
Early Struggles and the Drive to Survive
Jiro's path to mastery began in hardship. At just seven years old, he was effectively on his own after his father's business failed and his life fell apart. "When I was in the first grade, I was told, 'You have no home to come back to.' That's why you have to work hard. I knew that I was on my own, and I didn't want to have to sleep at the temple or under a bridge. So I had to work just to survive. That has never left me," Jiro recalls.
This early experience instilled in him a fundamental belief that "competence is the only safe harbor", that developing a skill no one could take away was essential to survival. He began working in restaurants at age nine, enduring what the host describes as "the classic sushi apprenticeship gauntlet," starting from cleaning, then prep work, and eventually handling fish after years of proving his dedication. It took him 30 years before he opened his first restaurant at age 39. It is the same Michelin-starred establishment that continues to thrive today.
Building the Business: The Art of Simplicity
When Jiro finally founded his own restaurant, he built it on principles that defied conventional wisdom. The restaurant is remarkably simple: a tiny 10-seat counter in a Tokyo subway station, with no appetizers or distractions, only sushi. The meal lasts just 15-20 minutes, costing approximately $400 per person (roughly $25 per minute), making it one of the most expensive restaurants on a per-minute basis in the world.
Yet as the host emphasizes, Jiro's approach demonstrates that "ultimate simplicity leads to purity." Rather than complexity, Jiro focused on perfecting the essential elements. "A novice is easily spotted because they do too much. Too many ingredients, too many movements, too much explanation. A master uses the fewest resources required to fulfill their intention," the host observes, noting how this principle perfectly describes Jiro's philosophy.
Jiro's business model is built on extreme specialization and attention to detail. Each vendor he works with must be the best in their specific field, the tuna dealer works exclusively with tuna, the shrimp vendor only sells shrimp. "Each of the vendors are specialists in their fields," Jiro explains. "We are experts in sushi, but in each of their specialities, the vendors are more knowledgeable. We have built up a relationship of trust with them."
The Shokunin Approach: Leadership and Teaching
Jiro's leadership style reflects the shokunin tradition of rigorous apprenticeship. When you work for Jiro, he teaches you for free, but you must endure 10 years of training. "If you persevere for 10 years, you will acquire the skills to be recognized as a first rate chef," the host explains. The training begins with seemingly mundane tasks, apprentices must first learn to properly hand squeeze a hot towel, a process so painful it burns their hands. Only when they master this can they progress to handling fish, and after about 10 years, they might be allowed to cook the eggs.
This demanding approach extends to Jiro's own sons. His older son, who apprenticed with him since age 19, now runs the original restaurant, while his younger son opened his own sushi restaurant (which earned two Michelin stars). When his younger son prepared to open his own place, Jiro gave him characteristically tough advice: "Now you have no home to come back to. You will be buried in Roppongi. Failure was not an option." As Jiro explains, "When you open your own restaurant, you need to be tough. I told him to leave and open this restaurant because I knew he could do it. If he wasn't ready, I wouldn't have made him go. But I felt he was ready, so I gave him a gentle push out the door. But I told him, there is no turning back. You must make your own way."
The Philosophy of Perfection: Continuous Improvement
What distinguishes Jiro is his relentless pursuit of improvement, even after decades at the pinnacle of his craft. "I've seen many chefs who are self-critical, but I've never seen a chef who is so hard on himself. He sets the standard for self-discipline," the host observes. At 85 years old, Jiro remains obsessed with making better sushi, constantly running experiments and iterations. "If it doesn't taste good, you can't serve it. It has to be better than last time. That's why I'm always tasting the food before serving it," Jiro explains.
This commitment to improvement manifests in countless refinements to his techniques. For shrimp, he evolved from boiling it in the morning to waiting until the customer arrives, despite the additional work. For octopus, he increased massaging time from 30 minutes to 40 or 50 minutes to achieve the perfect texture. Even his rice preparation involves extraordinary measures, using a pot so heavy it requires two hands to lift the lid, with additional weight placed on top to create optimal pressure.
"The techniques that we use, they're not a big secret. It's just about making an effort and repeating the same thing every day," Jiro explains. This approach of continuous improvement through repetition and refinement embodies the Japanese concept of kaizen: constant, incremental improvement.
Recognition and Legacy: Three Stars in a Subway Station
Jiro's pursuit of excellence earned him unprecedented recognition. When the Michelin Guide first came to Japan in 2007, they immediately awarded Jiro's restaurant three stars, the highest rating, indicating a restaurant "worth making a trip to that country just to eat at." As the host notes, "There is no other three-star restaurant in the world like Jiro's. But the Michelin investigators say, no matter how many times you eat at Jiro's, the sushi there is incredible. They said that three stars is the only adequate rating for this restaurant. They said, 'I've never had a disappointing experience there.' That is nothing short of a miracle."
What makes this achievement extraordinary is the setting: a tiny subway station restaurant with only 10 seats and a restroom outside the premises. Yet as the host emphasizes, Jiro's success demonstrates that "I believe in doing one thing and doing it better than anyone else", a principle that works whether you're serving $400 sushi or fast food chicken (drawing a parallel to Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves, featured in a previous episode).
Personal Sacrifices and Singular Focus
Jiro's dedication to his craft came at significant personal cost. His sons recall that when they were young, "on the rare occasion that I was at home sleeping in on a Sunday, they'd come into the room and say, 'Mom, there's a strange man sleeping in our house.'" Jiro admits, "I would get up at five in the morning and go to work. I would get home after 10 at night when they'd be asleep. When they were young, I didn't get to see them often. I wasn't much of a father. I was probably more like a stranger."
This single-minded focus extended to his entire life. When he received the Miko Award from the Japanese government, he attended the ceremony during the day and was back at work in the evening. "He got tired of sitting around," the host notes, comparing this to Sam Zemurray, the banana magnate who skipped his own honor ceremony to review shipping documents, a perfect example of "inner scorecard behavior" where the work itself matters more than external recognition.
Conclusion: The Spirit of Shokunin
When asked about retirement, Jiro's response reveals his philosophy: "If I don't keep working, my body will become worthless. If my body stops functioning, then I'll have to quit. It's not up to me. If I stopped working at 85, I'd be bored out of my mind. I have been able to carry on with the same job for 75 years. It's hard to slow down."
This dedication captures the essence of shokunin, a lifelong commitment to mastering one's craft. As the host reflects, Jiro's story demonstrates that "if you just love the activity for the sake of itself, if you work on it every day, if you do it for a long time, you become special. Nobody becomes great at something you do part time or temporary. They do it decade after decade after decade."
The episode concludes with Jiro's profound advice on mastery and continuous improvement: "Always look ahead and above yourself. Always try to improve on yourself. Always strive to elevate your craft."
Through his relentless pursuit of perfection through simplicity, Jiro Ono has not only created the world's greatest sushi but has embodied a philosophy of craftsmanship that transcends his field, a testament to the power of dedicating one's life to mastering a single skill and finding joy in the endless pursuit of improvement.
Crepi il lupo! 🐺