MAKNA TANDA SEMIOTIKA STRUKTURALIS PADA (躾) SHITSUKE KARAKTER JIRO ONO DALAM FILM “JIRO DREAM OF SUSHI” KARYA DAVID GELB

Abstract

This study employs Ferdinand de Saussure's structuralist semiotic approach to analyze how visual and verbal signs in the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi represent Japanese work culture, particularly the concept of Shitsuke (standardization) within the Kaizen (5S) philosophy. Saussure defines a sign as the relationship between the signifier (form) and the signified (concept), with meaning arising from this association within a structured system. From 19 analyzed data points, words appeared as the most dominant signifiers (28 instances) compared to sentences (15 instances), conveying key Shitsuke values such as high standards, orderliness, cleanliness, and workflow harmony. The findings show that Shitsuke is not only practiced physically but also constructed through concise yet meaningful linguistic signs.

Keywords: Structuralist Semiotics, Kaizen (5S), Shitsuke (躾)