Some months ago, a new unique film reached my attention. That was a film making story about a famous Japanese Sushi Chef, called JIRO.

He runs a small sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, the name of it is Sukiyabashi Jiro.  But the Sushi restaurant is always full of sushi lovers who made reservations for dinner some months before the tasting day.

Jiro is renowned not only in Japan but also worldwide.  Michelin gave Jiro 3 stars, which means this restaurant is ranked as the top level in the world.  In Tokyo there are more than 1000 or maybe much more sushi restaurants, and it’s said Tokyo has 160,000 restaurants approximately.  Among them, only 11 restaurants got 3 stars in Tokyo. Jiro is the one out of 11.

He was sometimes  picked up as focus of TV program before in Japan.  With all he is over 86 years old,  his sense of talk was incredibly sharp and he had absolutely strong philosophy in the work of sushi chef.  He says he has not yet seen the top of the sushi cooking,  what’s more,  he says he doesn’t know when he would be able to see the satisfactory taste as the final top level.

In a sense, he might be said to be stubborn.  However, that’s really a nature of Japanese chef’s nature.

When the director of the film first came to Jiro,  it’s said that Jiro refused it because filming often disturbs his work, and he has no more interest in promoting himself through media.  As the time runs, Jiro noticed director’s passionate attitude to get to know the secrets of sushi.  After that, gradually Jiro changed his mind and started becoming friends with the director.  And with the friendship,  the filming finally started.

The film of sushi chef Jiro is finally completed.  I’m also a sushi lover.  I want to see it somehow.

**a little note:  His restaurant is crowded and needs reservation. Also it’s expensive.  There are not many menu.  Usually when we take our seat, chef starts making sushi after some confirmation for favorites. Then we just eat when he makes for us.   This is not usual style in Japan, but this style certainly exists especially when the chef has pride in his cooking.

This topic is totally from my personal taste.  It’s not a news topic but my thought about Poland.

Without any reasons,I often think Poland may be close to Japan in human nature or nationality.  That’s because I have a friend from Poland and she has a similar emotional character as we Japanese have.  She doesn’t know anything about Japan, but in speaking with her, I often see a little similarity with us.

About the similarity, I can’t explain here, it’s just because ! If I try to explain it here, maybe misunderstnadig will happen. Words can’t explain well about human’s hearts.

I once saw Andrzej Wajda story on Japanese TV. It was just after the serious movie, Katyn ( correct spell ?), he talked about his own upbringing and his thought to international relationship, or war. That proved his honorable humanity and his spirit moved me so much.  He seems to be interested in old Japanese arts and that became his big motive to start creative works. As he has the common feeling with Japanese arts,Ukiyoe, maybe we Japanese would feel the common heart with him. I thought so when I saw the TV program.

In 1987, he got KYOTO PRIZE from Japan and he set up Japan Art Center in Poland for his repayment of Japanese kindness.

Also, I read about the story of Polish boys and girls during Warld War 2. They were forced to stay in Russia then but many got to get out there for illness or starving situation. They asked some countires for help but no good answers.  Finally they asked Japan without expectation because they thought Japan was too strange country for Poland and too far. Against their expectation,  Japanese government allowed them to come to Japan and started taking care of them. They recovered well and left Japan with endless tears and grattitude to host parents and Japan.

Detailed story about this is too long, so I can’t write here all.

As a fact, maybe there hardly are Japanese people who know this history between 2 countries. But Poland remembered the history even after the war, and again for their repayment to Japan, they invited orphans of KOBE earth quake victims in Japan many years later after the war.

I nearly cried when I read it.

This mentality is really what both nations have for each other, I think. If I explain this example more, my words may sound simple and doubtful. If you are Japanese, please check this story. I think you too will feel the same as I do.

Other than Poland, I also feel the same heart with some other people in the world.  I can’t tell exactly about it, but maybe the blood or DNA inside me tells me ” you are friends for each other !”

I once saw a Polish studnet on TV saying he loves a moive, Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki.  I was really surprised that far distant country’s young student knew such a complicated movie with heavy Japanese cultural background. 

As my repayment, here I need to say I really love Chopin.