1Becoming a sushi chef in Japan requires many years of patient and humble training.
2New apprentices often spend their first year only washing rice and cleaning.
3They are not allowed to touch fish until the master chef trusts them.
4Cooking the rice correctly is widely considered the true foundation of good sushi.
5The rice must be mixed with vinegar while it is still warm and steaming.
6Apprentices practise shaping the rice hundreds of times every single day of the week.
7Each piece should be firm enough to hold together yet soft in the mouth.
8Learning to cut fish properly demands a very sharp knife and complete concentration.
9A single careless cut can ruin an expensive piece of tuna or salmon.
10Many trainees work twelve hours a day, six days a week, for very little pay.
11After ten years of practice, a chef may finally serve customers alone.
12This long tradition shows how deeply Japanese culture values patience, discipline, and respect.