Jiro Ono
Jiro Ono in March 2015
Born (1925-10-27) 27 October 1925 (age 98)
Tenryū, Shizuoka, Japan
Culinary career
Cooking styleSushi
Current restaurant(s)
Websitewww.sushi-jiro.jp/shop-info

Jiro Ono (小野 二郎, Ono Jirō, born 27 October 1925) is a Japanese chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a sushi restaurant in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan.[1] Ono is regarded by his contemporaries as one of the greatest living sushi craftsmen and is credited with innovating methods used in modern sushi preparation.[2]

Early years

Ono was born in the city of Tenryū (present-day Hamamatsu) in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.[3] He started working at a local restaurant from the age of seven, before moving to Tokyo to study as an apprentice.[3] He became a qualified sushi chef in 1951, and in 1965 opened his own restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro (すきやばし次郎), in Ginza, Tokyo.[a][3]

Restaurant

Ono has served former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and United States President Barack Obama at Sukiyabashi Jiro.[4] Obama stated, "I was born in Hawaii and ate a lot of sushi, but this was the best sushi I've ever had in my life."[5]

Jiro Ono serving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and United States President Barack Obama at Sukiyabashi Jiro in April 2014

Personal life

Ono has two sons, Yoshikazu and Takashi Ono, both of whom are also sushi chefs. Takashi, the younger son, manages his own Michelin-starred restaurant. Jiro Ono was the subject of David Gelb's 2011 documentary film Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The Onos fear that overfishing will cause key ingredients used in traditional sushi to disappear.[6][7]


Explanatory notes

  1. ^ The "Jiro" in the restaurant's name is written differently from "Jiro" in the chef's name.

References

  1. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (28 February 2012). "Jiro Ono, a Sushi Legend, Is Captured in a New Documentary". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  2. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (29 October 2013). "Sushi's New Vanguard". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Cast & Staff". Jiro Dreams of Sushi (in Japanese). Japan: Transformer Inc. 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  4. ^ Miller, Zeke J (23 April 2014). "Barack Obama Just Ate The Best Sushi In The World". Time. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  5. ^ Joachim, David S. (23 April 2014). "Obama's First Order of Business in Tokyo: Sushi From the Master". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015. 'I was born in Hawaii and ate a lot of sushi, but this was the best sushi I've ever had in my life.
  6. ^ Nick Visser (5 November 2014). "Jiro Ono Contemplates The End Of Sushi As We Know It". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Jiro Ono warns of raw deal from overfishing". NY Daily News. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
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