We Are Tomodachi Spring 2018

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6“I never thought my film would bring me 14 awards and a trip to Japan,” laughs Anthony Lucero, the director of the film East Side Sushi, a film about a Mexican-American single mother who encounters cultural and traditional barriers as she strives to realize her dream of becoming a sushi chef. In 2017, Lucero traveled along the Japanese archipelago from north (Sapporo) to south (Okinawa City) upon the invitation of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan, talking about his film to Japanese audiences.Looking back on his Japan tour, Lucero says he found inspiration everywhere he went. After sampling a wide range of local specialties and meeting people from all walks of life to discover still more captivating aspects of Japan, he now claims, “Had I known all this before I filmed the movie, I might have revised my script!”Lucero reveals that during his tour around Japan, some members of his audience remarked it was peculiar for the heroine of his film to wear a watch while making sushi. In fact, the watch had been a necessary technical addition to enable a professional chef to be used as a “hand double” during close-ups of the sushi preparation. “When I went around to local sushi restaurants in Japan, I learned that no sushi master would ever wear a watch during either the preparation or the serving of sushi. I asked the reason, and the answer was ‘In order to present your cuisine to the gods, you must be as pure as possible.’ Here, ‘the gods’ refers to the customers. In Japan, everything seems to be permeated by a certain degree of spiritualism.”Lucero was intrigued to find how seriously the Japanese regard their meals, whether preparing, serving, or eating them. “The first thing to know about food in Japan is that it is very difficult to find a bad meal anywhere. Japanese people are very committed to their work and to customer service, and they take pride in what they do. Whatever task they do, they aim for perfection. In addition, Japanese customers are very discerning when it comes to their food. That is why Tokyo has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.”Lucero continued, “What I found most fascinating about Feature: Japan’s Passion for Food ExcellenceJuana (Diana Elizabeth Torres as a Mexican-American single mother) and Aki (Yutaka Takeuchi as a sushi chef) in the film East Side Sushi. Juana’s watch can be seen. ©Blue Sun PicturesMy Love for Japanese Food & ServiceEast Side Sushi Director Talks about Japanese Food Culture