Jiro Ono is the GOAT of sushi chefs. But of course he is; he’s been making it every day since he was 9. We watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi (streaming on Netflix) and talked about what drives someone to chase mastery for decades.
We got into obsession, parenting, Japanese culture, and how this quiet little sushi counter became a global symbol of craftsmanship. We also talked about bigger stuff like capitalism, collectivism vs individualism, and what it means to build a life around your art…including the sacrifices you need to make. Or do you?
If you’ve ever been drawn to people who care a little too much about their work... you’ll probably like this documentary.
→ Next episode’s documentary: ‘Three Identical Strangers’ (and what matters more: genetics or environment) Timestamps!
(00:00) - Intro
(01:10) - Discussion starts
(01:59) - Discussion actually starts
(30:00) - Tangent 1: Japanese people’s unspoken love
(35:42) - Tangent 2: Japan’s “evaporated people” and its unique flavor of capitalism
(1:02:19) - Discussion returns
(1:05:51) - Pics of Chris as a kid in Japan
(1:06:20) - Discussion strikes back
(1:17:30) - Tangent 3: Achieving greatness in Japan vs US
(1:23:30) - Oh right, we should probably explain how this podcast works
(1:24:25) - The Green Room starts (off-topic discussions)
(1:24:58) - Grant likes keyboards
(1:30:30) - Katie’s forehead vein
(1:32:48) - We compliment each other
(1:36:24) - Chris likes cameras
(1:40:38) - Mo likes Conan O’Brien
(1:43:54) - Why nearsightedness is increasing
(1:55:15) - Are you still watching?