TOKYO — Japan’s world-renowned sushi master Jiro Ono, whose pursuit of perfection in sushi earned him three Michelin stars and global fame, celebrated his 100th birthday, still refusing to call it a retirement.

“I plan to keep going for about five more years,” Ono said last month as Japan marked its “Respect for the Aged Day.” When asked about the secret to his longevity, he answered, “To work.”

Ono, who founded the famed 10-seat Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo’s Ginza district, said he can no longer visit the restaurant daily but continues to work whenever possible. “The best medicine is to work,” he told Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who congratulated him on reaching the milestone.

Born in 1925 in Hamamatsu, central Japan, Ono began his apprenticeship at age seven in a local inn’s kitchen. By the age of 25, he had already become a sushi chef in Tokyo and opened Sukiyabashi Jiro in 1965. His devotion to the craft made him a global icon, inspiring the 2012 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, where he humbly said, “I haven’t reached perfection yet.”

Director David Gelb, who made the documentary, described Ono as both a mentor and a father figure. “He’s very funny and very sweet,” Gelb said, recalling how Ono once joked that filming an octopus being massaged for an hour might make “the most boring film ever.”

Over the decades, Ono has served world leaders and celebrities but remains known for his humility and discipline. When the Japanese government tried to book a table for then U.S. President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014, Ono initially declined because the restaurant was fully booked. “They agreed to come later in the evening,” he said. “Obama was enjoying sushi, and I was happy.”

Sukiyabashi Jiro became the first sushi restaurant to earn three Michelin stars in 2007, maintaining the honor until 2019. Ono was later recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest head chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant at 93 years old.

The restaurant was eventually dropped from the Michelin Guide in 2020 after it began accepting reservations only from regular patrons or through luxury hotels. These days, Ono serves only a select few guests, admitting, “My hands don’t work so well.”

Still, he has no plans to stop. Watching news about Japan’s oldest man, who lived to 113, Ono reportedly remarked, “Thirteen more years seems doable. I will aim for 114.”

Ono credits his longevity to simple habits: he doesn’t drink alcohol, eats well, and walks regularly. When asked about his favorite sushi, his answer came without hesitation — maguro (tuna), kohada (gizzard shad), and anago (saltwater eel).

“It’s incredible that this tradition continues and that he’s still going strong at 100,” said Gelb. “It’s an inspiration to everyone.”