Of course, seeing this on a recent visit piqued my interest. It isn't common to find continuous improvement related terms out in the wild, so it stuck with me. It turns out that the idea of applying the principles of kaizen to sushi (or vice versa) is not as novel as I thought. A quick Google search revealed that there are lots of sushi restaurants with kaizen in the name.
In addition to Roseville's Mikuni Kaizen, you could enjoy:
And those are just the ones that made the first page of Google.
I'm sure he wasn't thinking about kaizen when he wrote this passage. Still, in his book Sushi Master: An Expert guide to sourcing, making, and enjoying sushi at home, Nick Sakagami explained the overlap of kaizen and sushi very well. He wrote, "Sushi represents a culture that strives toward perfectionism – one that sees mastery in the art of simplicity. Great purity follows from simplicity; hence, the finest sushi is simple in appearance. A passion for perfection drives the sushi chef to apply exacting standards of freshness and a perfect balance of flavors and textures."
It's no wonder that when thinking of a restaurant name that communicates the proprietor's desire to elevate their menu to the point of perfection, kaizen comes to mind.
It's impossible to do any online research into the philosophy of sushi without coming across references to the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." The film features Jiro Ono, a three-star Michelin chef who is widely recognized as the most excellent sushi chef in the world. In fact, the Japanese government has recognized him as a living national treasure. (Our very own Mark Graban wrote about the movie back in 2014.)
The movie isn't really about sushi. It's really about how to be a master shokunin, how to become truly great as a master craftsman. Jiro himself explains it this way, "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." Could anything more clearly reflect kaizen?
In the film, food critic Masuhiro Yamamoto speaks of what makes Jiro such a master. "He sets the standard for self-discipline," Yamamoto says. "He is always looking ahead. He's never satisfied with his work. He's always trying to find ways to make the sushi better or to improve his skills. Even now, that's what he thinks about all day, every day."
According to Yamamoto, five attributes are found in every great chef. I think it is safe to say that they are also found in people who thrive in a culture of continuous improvement.
(Jiro Dreams of Sushi is available free with Amazon prime.)
After thinking about it this way, "Kaizen Sushi" makes a whole lot of sense. I'll end by answering my own question. Why is "Kaizen" such a popular name for sushi restaurants? Because it's perfect.