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Educator and Sushi Master Dedicate Their Lives to Reaching Dreams


Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation awarded their Fervent Global Love of Lives award to two nominees above the age of 80 this year; a Malaysian educator Dr. Wah Joon-Tong and sushi master Ono Jiro. Both awardees have demonstrated hard work in their career, setting an example through experience.

Dr. Wah Joon-Tong is 81 years old this year and was born into poverty, therefore did not pursue higher education after high school. However, through his outstanding penmanship and dedication, he quickly gained attention in the media industry. In 1988, he started to worry that the societal atmosphere was declining and recognised that education could promote harmony within society, therefore he left the press to develop Home Dynamics in Penang, Malaysia, promoting life education.

Besides promoting education, Dr. Wah continued to pursue education, at the age of 70 he gained admission to a doctorate programme at University of South Australia. However, in 2007 he experienced the largest betrayal in his life, his good friend and career partner emptied the resources of Home Dynamics, shutting down their operations and starting a new business. Not being discouraged, Dr. Wah recuperated and reconfigured Home Dynamics, which now hosts over 300 courses for adults and teenagers, educating more than 10,000 students each year. As he continuously contributed towards the field of education in Malaysia, he was awarded the Fervent Global Love of Lives Award this year. 

Jiro Ono is a 95 year-old sushi master who curated delicacies for ex-president of The United States, Obama. He is the oldest awardee of this cycle and attends work daily. He is very professional and strict with the quality of sushi and the technique of preparation, winning many titles over the years. He is the oldest chef to be awarded three michelin stars.


Ono lost contact with his father at the age of 7.As his father’s business failed, he became a frequent drinking and due to the poor financial situation of his family, Ono’s only option was to work at a restaurant, becoming the youngest apprentice. At age 39, he opened a sushi restaurant, which has received a three michelin star rating for 12 consecutive years and has been listed as the 6th best restaurant by The New York Times. It can be said that this chef is extremely well known in Japan.

Ono adopts a 20 second rule at his restaurant, requesting that guests consume his sushi within 20 seconds of being served to enjoy the freshest sushi that has a melts-in-mouth texture. He expressed that once a person decides on a career path, it is essential that they invest themselves in this work and passionately love it, without complaints. It is crucial to hone skills, which is the secret to success and is the key to gaining the respect of others.

Jiro Ono is a prime example of a Japanese craftsman, although he started with a meager education, he set out to accomplish one thing in life; to strive for the best of the best, please customers and contribute to society only using the refined skills. He passed on this art to the next generation while simultaneously serving as a great role model.