Sushi master Jiro Ono turns 100, still not retiring

Jiro Ono, the legendary sushi master behind Tokyo’s famed Sukiyabashi Jiro, has turned 100 — and is still not ready to retire. Widely considered one of the greatest living practitioners of the craft, he is the world’s oldest head chef to have held three Michelin stars, a status he maintained for more than a decade. His meticulous pursuit of quality and his quiet discipline were memorably captured in the 2012 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which introduced his philosophy of refinement to global audiences.

Japan’s legendary sushi chef reaches 100 and keeps working

Born in 1925 in Hamamatsu, Ono began his apprenticeship at the age of seven, working in the kitchen of a local inn before moving to Tokyo as a young man. He opened Sukiyabashi Jiro in 1965 — a tiny, ten-seat counter tucked into a basement in Ginza — and has spent nearly six decades cultivating a standard of sushi rooted in repetition, restraint and near-ritualistic precision. Even today, he says he has not reached “perfection,” insisting there is always another tier of mastery ahead.

Marking “Respect for the Aged Day” in Japan, Ono joked that he plans to keep working “for about five more years”. He credits his longevity to routine, discipline and, above all, staying active: “The best medicine is to work,” he says. Although he no longer cooks daily, he still prepares sushi for select guests and observes operations closely, while his son Yoshikazu now serves as head chef.

Ono’s dedication extends beyond prestige. In a well-known anecdote, he once declined a booking request from the Japanese government when then U.S. President Barack Obama visited in 2014, simply because the restaurant was fully booked. Obama eventually dined later that evening — an experience Ono recalls with understated amusement.

Sukiyabashi Jiro was removed from the Michelin Guide in 2020 after limiting reservations to regular patrons and guests booking through elite hotels, although its reputation remains undiminished. For Ono, external honours have always been secondary to the rhythm of craft: walking daily, eating simply, and maintaining a sharp eye for detail.

Now among Japan’s nearly 100,000 centenarians, he has set himself a new target — 114. His humour remains intact, as does his devotion to tradition. Asked about his favourite sushi, he answered without hesitation: maguro, kohada and anago — tuna, gizzard shad and saltwater eel.

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