Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Yoshikazu Ono:
Always look ahead and above yourself. Always try to improve on yourself. Always strive to elevate your craft. That's what he taught me.

Jiro Ono:
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.

Jiro Ono:
I've never once hated this job. I fell in love with my work and gave my life to it. Even though I'm eighty five years old, I don't feel like retiring. That's how I feel.

Jiro Ono:
When I was in school... I was a bad kid. Later, when I was invited to give a talk at the school, I wasn't sure if I should tell the kids that they should study hard... or that it is okay to be a rebel. I wasn't sure what advice to give the kids. Studying hard doesn't guarantee you will become a respectable person. Even if you're a bad kid... there are people like me who change. I thought that would be a good lesson to teach. But if I said that bad kids can succeed later on like I did... all the kids would start misbehaving which would be a problem. Always doing what you are told doesn't mean you'll succeed in life.

Jiro Ono:
I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I'll continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is.

Shrimp Dealer:
These days the first thing people want is an easy job. Then, they want lots of free time. And then, they want lots of money. But they aren't thinking of building their skills. When you work at a place like Jiro's, you are committing to a trade for life.

Yoshikazu Ono:
[on one of his fish vendors] His grandfather was known as "the god of sea eel." He was a legend. I've never met him in person, but that's what I've heard.

Jiro Ono:
When I was in first grade, I was told "You have no home to go 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. I worked even if the boss kicked or slapped me. Nowadays, parents tell their children, "You can return if it doesn't work out." When parents say stupid things like that, the kids turn out to be failures.

Hiroki Fujita:
I either buy my first choice, or I buy nothing. If ten tuna are for sale, only one can be the best. I buy that one.

Masuhiro Yamamoto:
[describing Jiro's dedication and consistency through the years] The difference between Jiro today and Jiro 40 years ago is only that he stopped smoking. Other than that, nothing has changed.