2.5 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

An intimate, rather low-budget documentary that follows Yamagishi Kazuo over several years during the twilight of his career. Yamagishi is the founder of Taishoken in Ikebukuro, a ramen restaurant that now has many branches across Japan and also some locations worldwide.

Surprisingly, the film makes no mention of the fact that Yamagishi is credited as being the inventor of tsukemen (dipping noodles served separately from soup).

It also does not even try to explain what made the ramen at his Taishoken so good that devoted customers would line up for hours to have it. Yamagishi freely shared his recipe; and yet, it was only when he prepared it personally that the taste was divine. I suppose that was what made him a god – his touch was magic.

The obvious comparison is with the 2011 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”. That film actually left me feeling a bit saddened at the knowledge that Ono Jirou’s dedication to his calling came at the expense of his relationship with his family.

In contrast, Yamagishi started his business with his wife and it was always a family affair. The toll his devotion to his craft eventually takes is of a more personal nature.