Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Tami Dreams of Writing.

So there’s this documentary out, called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The movie is available on Netflix and is utterly gorgeous in its execution. The people who made the film aimed for “beauty” and hit their mark squarely.

On the surface, the film is about Jiro, the most celebrated sushi chef in Japan.

Underneath, it’s about motivation, dedication, and a philosophy of hard work.

During the intro, Jiro says the following quote, and I could not help but feel that he was speaking to me.

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’s the secret of success … and is the key to being regarded honorably.

This philosophy is how Jiro’s sushi bar became so highly regarded that its minimum $300 per plate, sushi-only menu requires reservations months in advance.

The first reviewer praises the simplicity of Jiro’s sushi. The brightness of the flavors in such a deceptively simple package.

There is no magic to Jiro’s sushi. No complex, miracle process that could not be duplicated. And yet he stands apart.

All octopus served in Jiro’s sushi bar is massaged for an hour before it is ever served to the diners.

Does it make a difference? I have no idea. I am not a sushi expert. It’s entirely possible I could be served Jiro’s sushi and find it delicious in much the same way I enjoy a roll from Sushi Muramoto in town here.

Surely all of that love, all of that attention to detail MUST matter, though. Even if each individual effort gives only a marginal improvement on the overall output, even if I don’t see or notice it … surely it matters.

Surely … surely the months of effort spent on worldbuilding Zonduth will be worth it. Surely, even if you never learn the complete history of the tragedy that overtook the once-verdant forest of Cruth, surely if you never realize that some fire mages are employed making glass or that an insect beast mage helped map the Tulata Tunnels beneath the Sonu Plains … surely it matters that it exists.

Surely the years spent learning story structure and plotting and characterization and sentence structure make a difference.

I am unlikely ever to be hailed as a national treasure, as Jiro is.

I can only hope that the reverence he feels for his sushi, the reverence that I feel for my writing … that it makes a difference.

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