This page(61) talks about a concept called Kodawari. It's like a personal standard, a very individual pursuit of quality — the benchmark a person sets for themselves.
It gave several examples, like the ramen noodles in Japan. Each shop owner has their own specific idea of what perfect ramen noodles should be like. (laughs) They could argue endlessly about it, some wanting more chewiness, others something else. What I took from it is that it's about a level of professionalism that goes beyond 'good' or 'average,' aligning with the first pillar of Ikigai: starting small.
This Kodawari applies to everything — service, presentation, preparing food, all of it. People who truly embrace this principle often have an uncompromising, even self-centered, in their pursuit of that standard. Like the ramen example, they can really debate their specific standards. (laughs)
Another example that really caught my attention was a fruit shop called Sembikiya. It's a fruit shop that selects the absolute highest quality fruits. A single muskmelon can cost upwards of $200 US, or over 6,000 Thai baht. The book described it so vividly that I looked it up on YouTube. The quality is truly amazing. A box of cherries costs over 3,000 baht — each cherry over 100 baht! (laughs) Everything is incredibly expensive, but it genuinely represents that level of quality.
For fruit to be sold in this shop, it's a guarantee of ultimate excellence. It's not just good; it has to be superb, the very best of that specific fruit. If it's a strawberry, it's the best strawberry. You don't need to imagine what the best strawberry looks or tastes like; it's right there in that shop. (laughs) That's Kodawari.