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Tokyo Sushi Making Experience+ Tsukiji Fish Market Explore Tour

  • ¥ 13,000
  • 4.0 hours
  • Max 32, Min 2 Guests
  • 936 people already enjoyed this experience

Are you interested in making some Sushi by yourself? This tour offers you a special opportunity where you can learn how to make traditional Sushi from a professional Sushi chef!

On this tour, our knowledgeable guide will show you some important elements of Japanese culinary culture in Tsukiji Market before the Sushi class.You will get the insight and learn many facts behind Sushi culture while walking through the market. Get the idea of where all the fishes come from and how to make a perfect Sushi. We challenge you to be a Sushi master!
***Remarks: The Tsukiji Inner Market was relocated to Toyosu, but the Tsukiji Outer Market and the small wholesale area remain open in Tsukiji. We continue this tour at Tsukij with the same passion! ***

Safety Guidance
Before The Tour
①Check the body temperature, and be sure it is lower than 37.5℃(99.5℉)
During The Tour
②Keep the Social Distance from each other *as much as possible
③Bring a portable sanitizer *recommended
④Wear the mask
⑤Wash and Sanitize your hand frequently

　 ① 　 ② 　③

Please check the details before joining the tour.
The Safety Guidance for COVID-19
  • ・Try sampling food that is beloved by fine cuisine restaurants.
    　– (e.g. Green tea, Bonito flakes, and some snacks).
  • ・Explore the Tsukiji Outer Market with a friendly guide.
  • ・Discover where the local foodies got to eat.
  • ・Learn the foundation of the Japanese food culture at ‘The Kitchen of Tokyo’
  • ・Sushi making experience taught by a professional Sushi Chef.
　8:30 am – 12:30 am (Approx. 4 hours)
　*Mainly (Mon. Tue. Thu. Fri. Sat.)

  • – 8:30 am Meetup at Tsukiji Honganji Temple (In front of the gate)
  • – Explore the Tsukiji outer market and grab Japanese foods and drinks with our guide.
  • – Move to the Sushi workshop and learn how to make your own Sushi.
  • – Eat your own hand made Sushi.
  • – TBD (Depends on Sushi School).
The Tsukiji Honganji Temple / TBD (Depends on Sushi School)
For a prompt departure at 8:30 AM.
Please arrive by 8:15 AM to the main gate of the Tsukiji Honganji-Temple.
MAP:　Tsukiji-map.pdf
13,000 JPY
Approximately 12:30 PM
・Your very own hand made Sushi.
・You could try some free sample in the Tsukiji outer market.
・English Guide
・Food (Menu Above)
・Transportation Fee from Tsukiji to the Sushi Workshop Venue
・Hotel Pick-up
・Infant meals
・Extra foods and drinks

  • 【General】
  • ・This is a group tour.
  • ・We will leave at 8:30 am sharp, so please make sure to be there on time!
  • ・There could be a delay at when the tour ends if you have an appointment or
    　 plan right after this tour, please let us know in advance.
  • ・Please come with comfortable walking shoes as this tour is mainly a
    　　 walking tour.

  • 【Pricing & Payment】
  • ・All payments must be made in full before the tour.
  • ・We don’t have a price for children. If the child doesn’t eat, it’s free.
  • ・If the group is over the maximum group size, then the group will be separated.
  • ・If you would like to do a PRIVATE tour, please send an inquiry to us.
    　– (TOTAL PRICE= 15,000 JPY [Basic fee] + 10,500 JPY/person)

  • 【Cancellation Policy】
  • Cancellation Policy

  • 【Chinese Speaking Guide】
  • ・若你需要中文導覽的話，請在來信中告訴我們。 中文網站
    (If you would like to join the Chinese speaking guide tour, please note it in your inquiry.)

    Tokyo Food Tour – The Tsukiji Fish Market

    Customer's Voice (143)

    Fabulous Tour! Kiyoka is a great guide and wonderful ambassador to Tokyo! The Tsukiji Fish Market is a great place to taste some delicious food.. Seize the moment and buy whatever catches your eye! The sushi-making class is very basic. Don't expect to filet any fish. You will have an opportunity to watch a sushi chef filet a fish and prepare 3 slices of sashimi. The class involves moulding rice and topping it with some prepared toppings. Lots to eat at the end of the tour, but the best part was meeting Kiyoka and learning about Tokyo! I highly, highly recommend this tour with Kiyoka.
    by KiyokaKellyChris (02/24/20)
    My husband and I went on the Tsukiji Fish market tour & sushi making experience and it was fantastic! We were so fortunate to have Yoshi as our guide, and only wish she could have accompanied us on the rest of our two weeks in Japan! Her english was perfect and she has a lovely calm, friendly manner. We learnt so much about not only the fish market and the amazing variety of food on offer, but on life in general in Japan, as well as handy tips on where else to eat, shop or sightsee. Yoshi was so generous with her time and suggestions, and really impressed us both. The sushi making was a great fun experience, and very authentic with a wonderful chef demonstrating his techniques - and us trying our best to copy. Tasted delicious and we were so honoured to be given a surprise gift as the 2000th guests there; it was a real treat. We would highly recommend this tour as a fun, informative experience and if you can get Yoshi as your guide, consider yourself lucky!
    by Susan M (02/19/20)
    The tour round the fish market was a lot of fun and very informative. Being from England, we would not have known what many things were (everything being labeled in Japanese), and so our tour guide, Naoko, did a great job explaining. The market includes stalls other than just fish so you really get to know a lot about Japan, their food and also their culture. Naoko was very knowledgeable and was very happy to answer any questions as well as provide a lot of background to everything we were seeing. She also seemed to know many of the traders and was able to encourage them to offer us tastings of what they were selling. The sushi making that we did after the market tour was a lot of fun. As sushi lovers, it was a unique experience for us to learn how to make sushi from an experienced friendly chef!! We definitely recommend this tour. Many thanks to Naoko for making it such fun!!
    by Sue & Tony (02/10/20)
    Great trip The team leader, 後藤 麻美 （Ms Mami ）was sooooooo kind and professional. The whole trip was really amazing! I will take my sons again this summer!!!
    by Jasmine (01/26/20)
    Kazu-san is a fantastic tour guide who knows all of the best spots to visit at the outer fish market. He is well-known to the vendors, very personable and knowledgeable and taught me everything I wanted to know about the market’s history and culture and more. It was the best tour I’ve had in recent years and as a lover of all types of Japanese food it could not have been more delicious. The sushi making class was fun and the food plentiful. Loved our chef! This tour is an absolute must.
    by BROOKLYN in Tokyo (01/14/20)
    Great experience! Special thanks to Yoshi our multilingual guide into the tsukiji market. Plenty of great spot (and yummy samples), stories,explanations, handmade knives shop ( I've been back there to get one after the class). That was perfect. The sushi class taught by a skilled sushi master was impressive and well explained. Very professional and mastered. My best cooking class experience in Tokyo so far.
    by Ben (01/09/20)
    Chi was the most gracious and knowledgeable guide. We learned a lot from her about the Buddhist temple and also the Tsukizi fish market, where we ate and bought wonderful things. Making and haha especially eating sushi at the sushi chef school was a highlight of our trip. Like Chi, the people there were warm and fun. Arigato Chi, Greg & Karen & family
    by Gfjwriter (12/25/19)
    We had a great morning with Tak. A fun and informative tour of the fish market followed by a sushi making class that was equally as fun. Highly recommend - as much or as little insight as you like, Tak was informative and engaging.
    by ChrisR (12/17/19)
    Thankyou to our guide, Yuriko, for the time spent wandering the markets and learning how to make sushi (as well as eating it!). It was an overall excellent experience! We thoroughly recommend this tour to any other travellers.
    by Ken (12/16/19)
    The tour was informative and entertaining at the same time. Thank you Kiyoka.
    by Joey (12/03/19)
    We absolutely loved this tour! Yuriko was such a fabulous guide. We loved learning about the Tsukiji fish market and trying so many new foods. We also had a blast perfecting our sushi making skills. Definitely one of our highlights on our trip!
    by Susan (12/02/19)
    Wonderful tour of fish market and we enjoyed making sushi. Many thanks!
    by Joel (11/28/19)
    I had an incredible time during the Tsukiji and Sushi making tour! Our guide, Sachimi, was wonderful. Would definitely recommend.
    by Stan (11/24/19)
    Very good expérience and very Nice guide.
    by Halima (11/12/19)
    Lisa and I had a wonderful experience touring the market and learning to make Sushi Our guide was brilliant and very very knowledgeable about food and the market We had a great time and was one of the hi lights of our too short stay in Tokyo Be warned lunch is very filling !! Highly recommended
    by SameSeb (11/06/19)
    A great morning tour with many interesting things pointed out at the fish market. The sushi making was fun and delicious. Our guide was very informative and interesting. Thanks.
    by Millsy (11/06/19)
    We had a fabulous time on our Tsukiji Fish Market Tour and Sushi Making Experience! We actually somehow got the start time mixed up and were nearly two hours late for our booking. With one simple phone call, we were able to schedule a meeting point, jump right in on the tour, and still be able to make our sushi for lunch (the part we were most interested in!). Thank you so much to all at Japan Wonder Travel for making this happen for us!! Your flexibility and outstanding committment to your clients is very much appreciated!!
    by Stacey (11/06/19)
    Took the tour with my wife and another couple. It was a nice sized group with only one additional couple participating. Our guide, Yoshi, was knowledgeable and very friendly. She took us through the entire market, pointed out some of her favorite items, and answered all our questions. She was also our translator at the sushi making class, which was the icing on the cake. We each got to make our own sushi lunch. Highly recommend!
    by SDCrew (11/02/19)
    This was a wonderful tour. Our guide Tak was very informative and interesting insight into Japanese culture, through the fish market. I thoroughly recommend this tour, fantastic experience.
    by Lin (10/24/19)
    An excellent introduction to Tsukiji, which would be bewildering without local insight. We made the mistake of having a full breakfast; skip it so you can better enjoy all of the samples your guide offers! We loved our guide, Yuko, who was particularly good at understanding individual needs and making sure everyone had a chance to sort their shopping and eating desires. Getting out of Tsukiji as it reaches peak crowds to the sushi-making venue at an upscale place in Ginza is a great move. The class is in a beautiful room, very comfortable, with all of your needs catered for. (Plenty of Japanese atmosphere but you don't have to sit on the floor.) Two small criticisms: this is more a "how to assemble" sushi rather than how to make it, as there's no real instruction on how to choose and slice the fish or how to make the rice, which as I understand are the hardest parts; and, several tours come together for the sushi making but all the individual guides do the translations for the sushi chef to their group. While I appreciate the customer service ethos they're going for, this created quite a babble and it would have been better if just one person translated into English and other guides quietly helped individuals going wrong with their sushi technique. These are small quibbles, however, with an excellent morning and a super lunch. You won't need much dinner and will be challenged to finish the feast that you put together for yourself!
    by BencardsBites (10/12/19)
    The tour was a surprise for my husband on his birthday, and it was amazing. First the tour at the fish market, when our guide explain the food and the Japanese culture and after the cooking class with the chef that was very nice and happy, plus the food was delicious. I really recommend this tour!
    by Tatiana (09/09/19)
    It’s our first time taking the sushi making class - very special experience and we love it! The tour guide speaks very fluent English, it’s interesting to listen to him talking about Japanese culture and history as we walked around the fish market.
    by WINNIE (08/27/19)
    by KaZu (08/18/19)
    I had a great time and saw and tasted things at on the market tour that I would have missed on my own. Sushi lesson was great too. Lots of good tips which I can go home and practice. Generous with both sushi and information. Thank you very much.
    by Mari (07/29/19)
    This was our best tour. The Tsukji fish market products and prices are like no other in the world. Enjoyed a lot of tastings and then of course struggled with the sushi making. It was all great fun. Best of all was our very knowledgeable, energetic and loving guide Itsuku. When the children needed rest, she found us a place to sit. Always taking our photos. Finally, Itsuku walked us right up to our metro which was completely away from her destination. Well done Itsuku, the guide makes the tour.
    by Cawas (07/17/19)


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Archive for 13 February 2008

Ninja Kitty-Full Version

Posted in Writing on 13 February 2008 by jason

This is the full version of the cartoon that I wrote for My Very Own Adventure, Ninja Kitty. I’ve been told that this is the video that the company shows potential clients as the best example of what they do because it’s written so well, the kid’s actions are rad, and something about me being the god of writing. Just call me Thoth. Anyway, here it is!

Listen to the band!

Posted in Cover Songs, Music on 13 February 2008 by jason

I’ve been watching a lot of videos on youtube lately. You know…looking for music I haven’t heard, watching videos of bands I like, etc…

Anyway, here are some videos for you! Enjoy!

The Mountain Goats-Sax Rohmer #1

This is off their forthcoming album Heretic Pride

Vampire Weekend-Oxford Comma (live)

From MTV’s Brand Spanking New Sessions

And, because it is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen…
David Hasselhoff-Hooked on a Feeling

Day three.

Posted in Education, Rambling on 13 February 2008 by jason

Today is the third day in a row that my job has been closed due to weather. Personally, I think someone in administration is being a baby. I mean, this is Ohio; you’re going to get some bad weather. If you shut down every time the weather dips down near 0, which it didn’t, you’ll never get anything done.

Good news is that my mouth had miraculously stopped hurting, though the weird taste I woke up with makes me think that I had an abscess that popped, so I was probably drinking pus all night. And when you can say “The good news is that I’ve been drinking pus…”

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In Defense of The Hotel Chevalier

Tonight, admittedly under the influence of a few glasses of vodka and juice, I decided to watch The Hotel Chevalier, written and directed by Wes Anderson.  Checking the Internet Movie Database’s forums, one can see that many thought that the short film The Hotel Chevalier was self-indulgent crap.  I respectfully disagree.  And now, I shall watch it, again, under the influence, and blog my observations via Windows Live Writer.

Meta-note: I’m drinking while watching the film, though when you read this, dear reader, I will not be drunk.  I have no internet connection of my own,  so I’m saving this to my computer and posting it tomorrow, which to you will be today.  It’s kind of like time-travel, in that way.

Meta-note 2: Virginia Woolf, if alive today, might say: “A woman must have money and an internet connection of one’s own if she is to write a blog.” As a true feminist, I would amend “woman” to “person,” as men and women should be equal.

Meta-note 3: This will all be pretty funny once I’m sober, so save for a few fact-checking things, I shall not edit this post before posting it.

Meta-note 4: Yes; when I’m tipsy, I use phrases like “so save for a few” and “I shall not.”  I was an English major for 9 years, and I tutor writing.  It takes effort for me to not talk like that.  It’s how I think.

Meta-note 5: The Hotel Chevalier is a short film that is on the DVD of The Darjeeling Limited.  If you have never seen it, read this post, then see it (or vice-versa) and take the following comments into consideration.

1) The Otter will tell you that I love The Hotel Chevalier because you get to see Natalie Portman naked (well, she never takes her socks off, so nearly naked).  However, I am not a huge fan of Portman, naked or otherwise, though she was awesome in The Professional

2)The yellow color scheme is awesome and feels immediately like a Wes Anderson project.  Robert Yeoman, the director of photography,  was sent to earth by divinity itself in order to help Wes Anderson make movies that I would love.  He has NEVER let me down.  Also, though I am a pagan myself (well, a semi-practicing, non-traditional neo-pagan/chaos magician), I would like to say that Pope Benedict-whatever-number-he-is should put the guy who invented the Futura font on the fast-track to sainthood.  Like, now.

3)Portman is awesome on the phone.  She manages to be both menacing and teasing when she asks “Can I come there"?” (or is it “Can I cum there?” ?) , she is very unsettling.  Jason Schwartzman (who, if a movie were ever made about my life, I fucking kid you not, would by my first choice to play me) really looks terrified when he realizes who he’s talking to.  He sells that shit.

4) Peter Sarstedt’s “Where Do You Go to My Lovely” is the PERFECT soundtrack for this short piece.  When the girlfriend (AKA Portman) asks “What’s this music,” I hate her.  Hate’s a strong word, so I’ll use it.  I hate her.  She’s a bitch right from the start.  Bitch is a strong word.  You’re goddamn right it is.

5)And who the hell is she talking to on the phone as she walks in to destroy Jack’s (Schwartzman’s) life?  It’s like this meeting is not important.  It’s just a thing.

6)The almost-kiss-but-only-a-hug reminds me of Richie and Margot Tennenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums.  I’m 100% sure this is intentional, which begs the question, “Wes Anderson…what happened in your life that makes you write such heartbreaking scenes?”

7)Wes Anderson, every movie you make breaks my heart.  Is this what you want?

8)If it is, I can live with that.  Also, I relate to Richie Tenenbaum on so many levels that if I told you in person, you would probably get a restraining order against me.  I wouldn’t blame you, though.  I scare myself sometimes.  Do not worry, however; I’m not going to attempt suicide.  I’ve been there, it wasn’t good, and I’ll never be in that place again, I swear to fucking god I won’t.

9)I’m not tipsy.  I am drunk.

10) This is either the greatest or worst blog post ever.

11) I just imagined myself asking my friend Jayson if I sound like a twat, so I guess that Jayson has become some sort of moral compass for me.  I’m not sure how I feel about this fact, bit you da man, Jayson, and you are not a hater, despite what others may think.  You da fuckin’ man.

12) tHIS IS THE GREATEST POST EVER.  That was in caps lock accidentally, but you only live once, or twice, if that awesome song that has absolutely nothing to do with this film  is to believed so I’ll play it as it lay.

13)Back to this movie, whatever-the-fuck-it-is.

14)Jack has constructed a little world of order in his room.  His ex-girlfriend is disrupting his world by moving his stuff.

15)The music box plays “Les Champs Elysees,” which is one of the closing credits songs of The Darjeeling Limited.  I bow before you, Mr. Anderson.

16) My apartment is kind of spinning, which is odd. Usually, it doesn’t move at all.  It’s part of the reason I moved here, actually.

17)Although I am not a fan off Ms. Portman, the short hair is nice.  And by nice, I mean hot.

18) The girlfriend takes Jack’s world that he has created and disrupts it.  She even uses his toothbrush.  Bitch.

19) I’m on 19?

20) Why isn’t Luke Wilson playing the part of Jack?

21)Seriously, the short hair works for Portman.

20-something)Bloody Marys?  Richie Tennenbaum drinks those.  Again, I think it’s intentional.

20-something-else) OK…when Jack takes his ex’s boots, then pants, off, it’s freaking hot.

Whatever-number-I’m-too-drunk-to record) Bruises?  WTF?

Number-after-that) Detractors, I say to you that this short piece has some of the best dialogue in a Wes Anderson film, so you’d better recognize:

GF:  Have you slept with anyone?

Jack (pause): No.  Have you?

GF (LOOOOONG pause): No.

Jack: That was a long pause.  I guess it doesn’t really matter.

GF: No, it doesn’t.

(After making out)

Jack: You’ve got bruises on your body.

GF: Whatever happens in the end, I don’t want to lose you as my friend.

Jack: I promise, I will never be your friend. No matter what. Ever.

GF: If we fuck, I’m going to feel like shit tomorrow.

Jack: That’s OK with me.

GF: I love you.  I never hurt you on purpose.

Jack: I don’t care.

Jack: Want to see my view of Paris?

GF: (After a pause): OK.

Seriously, I will never write anything as emotionally resonate as that.  No matter what.  Ever.

11 Responses to “In Defense of The Hotel Chevalier”

  1. Lauren Says:

    this completely made my week to know that you spent an entire evening drinking, watching a movie, analyzing your drinking, while analyzing a movie. if it didn’t weird me out to tell you this, i would say “jason, i love you… this blog is priceless.”

  2. Thanks! (I assume this is Lauren Drinkard?)

  3. BooBoo Says:

    Vodka ? I hope its Ciroc or the Goose . Anything else is just paint stripper .

  4. That is the stuff right there. You can’t even make a Molotov cocktail with it in an emergency because the bottle is plastic.

    I think the next time you do this you need to drink champagne mixed from Night Train and Sprite.

    • Actually, I managed to find Orloff in a glass bottle. Unfortunately, at 22% alcohol, I doubt that it would ignite. So, fingers crossed that the zombies don’t attack anytime soon.

  5. Time to grow up, darling.

  6. …and i have so much room to talk, you know.

  7. quicksilverthor Says:

    Portman as an actor is ok to good as a naked girl how can you doubt her value? As for cocktails, you drink the alcohol and then put gas and those little foam peanuts in the bottle. Even then I don’t they’d work against zombies because they have no real blast force and wouldn’t atomize them quickly. This is where the good old warhammer comes into play.

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NUI Galway logo

The Program

The National University of Ireland, Galway is located in Galway, Ireland. The university has approximately 17,000 students and offers a wide variety of courses, including courses specifically for international students about Irish culture, language, and history.

Much information for students who wish to attend NUI Galway can be obtained from the NUI Galway International Affairs Office.

Program costs for academic year 2019-2020 (Directly Billed by JCU)

  • Tuition: $20,615
  • Administrative Fee: $1,000

Estimated Costs (not billed by JCU)

  • Books and supplies: $430
  • Personal Expenses: $4,500
  • Transportation: $1,300
  • Room: $3,600-6,500
  • Board: $2,300
  • Insurance: $225
  • Residence Permit: $400
  • Total Indirect Costs: $12,755 – $15,655

Total Semester Budget: $34,370 – 37,270

Financial Aid:

Students are billed directly by John Carroll for tuition at the standard JCU rate. All other costs are the responsibility of the student directly.

JCU financial aid can be applied to the tuition costs. It is necessary to consult with the Office of Financial Aid at John Carroll to learn how your financial aid will apply to this program.

John Carroll University currently offers its students several competitive scholarships to NUI Galway sponsored by the Mayo Society of Greater Cleveland. Please contact the Center for Global Education for more information, or download the Galway Scholarship Application. The deadline to apply for the scholarship for Fall 2017 or Spring 2018 is March 15, 2018.

Additional scholarships may be available from outside sources. Please see here for additional information.

The NUI Galway Accommodation Office can assist students to make arrangements for housing, either on campus or in nearby student apartments. Students will be responsible for paying their housing bills directly.

Please keep in mind the following John Carroll University regulations:

  • JCU requires you to take 30 ECTS at NUI Galway (30 ECTS = 15 JCU credit hours)
  • Grades you earn at NUI Galway will count toward your GPA.
  • NUI Galway requires a GPA of 3.0 and junior standing (sophomore at the time of application).

The deadline for applications to study abroad for Fall Semester is March 1, and for Spring Semester is October 1.

For further information on Galway and Ireland, please consult the following links:


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Patriotic Eagle Mug

Patriotic Eagle Mug

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This handsome stainless steel eagle mug will pair up nicely with our eagle Wine Bottle Holder. With a sharply focused gaze, this eagle stands out on the textured tree bark background. It makes a great gift for family and friends who love eagles! The stainless steel inner liner keeps your drink cool or hot. Hand wash only. Materials: Polyresin and Stainless Steel. Dimensions: 6.00"L x 3.75"W x 4.50"H.

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Human Remains

“Human Remains,” now that I think about it, was probably one of the biggest influences on my early writing. My short fiction often featured characters like Gavin, lovely to look at but broken on the inside. Though he is a prostitute, Gavin is not victimized by his profession (prostitute-as-victim has in itself become a cliche); rather, he is a victim of his own narcissism, his fear of losing his youth and beauty. He is a Dorian Gray for the modern era.

Gavin is a beautifully realized character, and the story succeeds because Barker taps into a universal fear, especially among Westerners–the fear of growing old. My birthday is on Wednesday, and I hear the inexorable march of middle age drawing ever closer. Unlike Gavin, however, I have plenty of regrets for the things I have not accomplished, and the things that likely will not happen before the end of my life. Though Gavin’s lack of ambition appears almost liberating at first glance, he is a prisoner of his own low expectations.

Gavin knows, and quite comfortably accepts, that he will never be more than what he is. His highest aspiration in life is to marry a rich widow. He is a man who would rather die than see his beauty damaged in any way, for it is the only aspect of himself that he has cultivated, and his only currency. “Something good was coming with the autumn, he knew it for sure” (142), Gavin notes early in the story, but what he expects will be a marriage proposal from one of his rich widows is instead an escape from a life whose potential he could never realize. The doppelganger that Gavin first encounters in Reynold’s apartment, and which decides Gavin’s is the face it will have, ironically becomes more human than Gavin could ever be. It wants every aspect of the human experience, the ones with which Gavin could not be bothered to trouble himself–the attachments to others, the pain of loss.

The creature, though it feeds on blood and steals souls, is in its own way very sympathetic, in large part because of its loneliness. “‘You know what you are because you see others like you. If you were alone on earth, what would you know?'” (177) it asks Gavin. That Gavin is quite all right with this ancient monster assuming his face and his life, for now he is freed of all human concerns, illustrates one of the many reasons why Barker’s work resonates with so many people. Gavin is the monster, and always was–he is the “human remains” of the story’s title; soulless, obsessed with superficiality, he was a person in appearance only. It is the doppelganger who wants to live, truly live, to be a fully-functioning human and experience the emotions that Gavin so casually discarded; not rightly knowing what it is, it imitates what it envies the most, and does a better job of being human than most people do. By the end of the story, Gavin’s exterior matches his interior–featureless and empty. It is the creature, molded not only by blood but by emotions and experiences, just like any real person, who will live the life Gavin took for granted.

“Human Remains” is one of the strongest stories in the Books of Blood, and showcases Barker’s ability to write emotional, beautiful horror. This is why he’s one of the best. If you haven’t yet read it, do yourself a favor and get to it.

Works Cited:
Barker, Clive. Books of Blood Volumes One Two and Three. Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc., 1992. Print.

5 thoughts on “Human Remains

  1. I like how you point out that the doppelganger wants to truly live and experience all the emotions it can. I think it does this to finally be a part of something and feel accepted. It lamented its woes on not knowing if any others of its kind existed, and was more than excited to take Gavin’s life.

  2. Joe likes to say that Barker's weakness is his characters (and he may blast me for saying that and claim that I've misinterpreted him, and maybe I have), and I can see that, especially in his novels. Here, however, it's a strength. Both Gavin and the creature are wonderful characters.

  3. I agree that the characters are done wonderfully. I kept thinking through the story, "Why doesn't Gavin fight this creature–this doesn't make sense!" But, it kind of does. It really does. Gavin was so egotistical and inhuman that having a creature steal his identity seemed to be almost honorable. He even liked the idea of being on display for the world to admire. Everything in this story clicked into place very well. I also like how you mention that the creature becomes more human than Gavin. In the end the creature wins, but really, the monster is defeated.

  4. I saw the story much the same way you did – but you have a much more eloquent way of phrasing. This storyline – stealing someone's identity and doing their life better – exists in Harlan Ellison's Shatterday also – a guy calls his house accidentally and is surprised to find himself answering the phone. Love your line – "By the end of the story, Gavin's exterior matches his interior–featureless and empty." And Gavin "is the 'human remains' of the story.'" Very insightful, as always.

  5. I have a really difficult time, because I feel so much like the doppelganger in this story. I have no idea if there is anyone else like me out there. I feel the disconnect I have with most people and this is frustrating when trying to communicate things. I had great difficulty understanding the two universal themes of loneliness and growing old. I can honestly say I have no fear of growing old. I am looking forward to it. I have also never felt lonely. In order to feel lonely, a person must realize he or she needs people in their lives to cope. I don't have that need. I read the story several times, because I wanted to understand and appreciate it in the same way that you did. I have read almost the entire collection of short stories and loved almost every single one, but I did not care for this one. Although, I agree that in the end the monster is more human and I was okay with the fact that Gavin didn't fight back. If he had, it would have been out of character.I agree that the creature becomes more human than Gavin, but overall I didn't care for the story. I found the entire narrative "featureless and empty." I just didn't get it.

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text:
Jersey City Expands CCTV Camera System
Jersey City Expands CCTV Camera System

Jersey City Expands CCTV Camera System, Effective Resource Proven Instrumental in Apprehending Suspects and Closing Court Cases

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea have continued the expansion of the Closed Caption Television (CCTV) camera system in Jersey City with the addition of 58 new cameras, bringing the total to 214 cameras citywide.  These new high definition 5-megapixel cameras not only serve as a deterrent against crime across the City, but also allow for sharper images that are clear enough to identify and track suspects, becoming admissible evidence in court.

“It is without question that the CCTV system has made our crime fighting initiatives that much more successful,” said Mayor Fulop. “Working with the community, over the last three years we have completely revamped the previously outdated and unusable system with high quality technology in strategic locations to advance our ultimate goal of maximizing public safety efforts citywide.”

The new CCTV cameras are equipped with a significantly higher resolution compared to the archaic 1-megapixel system this administration inherited, which was comprised of less than 50 working cameras. The locations for the new HD cameras are based on community feedback and crime data that identify areas with historically higher crime rates.

“Upgrading our CCTV system has already proven useful in numerous cases,” said Public Safety Director James Shea. “One example occurred just last month, when our officers were able to pursue a fleeing suspect.  They used the cameras to follow his car, then trail the actor on foot. Despite multiple attempts to elude the police - changing his clothing, and even joining an active basketball game - police officers were still able to track and apprehend the suspect using the cameras. Without this advanced system, this criminal and many others may still be on the loose.”

With each phase, the City also continues to upgrade the technology’s software and extend fiber lines to new and future locations. Because the new software allows multiple users on the system without video delays, the CCTVs can also be used for emergency or evacuation scenarios.

Phase I, II and III of the CCTV project included 6 parks and 32 street locations.  The first three phases cost nearly $1.4 million, in a combination of Department of Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funds and capital budget funds.  Phase 4 consisted of $500,00 from the State Law Enforcement Trust Fund and $40,000 from the capital budget.

The CCTV installations will continue with Phase 5 scheduled for 2020. The next phase is expected to include 300 existing cameras at housing sites citywide that are currently managed by the Jersey City Housing Authority, all at no additional cost to the Department of Public Safety.

The cameras are one of the key components to the overall crime fighting strategies this administration continues to build upon which also includes the hiring of hundreds of officers, maintaining historic staffing levels with over 960 officers department-wide, strategic planning and deployment of officers, more efficient use of intel, community policing, among other initiatives.

The 16 new locations included in Phase 4 are:

1.   Wegman Parkway and MLK Drive (5 Cameras)

2.   Bramhall Ave and MLK Drive (4 Cameras)

3.   Grant Ave and Bergen Ave (4 Cameras)

4.   Fairview Ave and Bergen Ave (5 Cameras)

5.   Jewett Ave and Bergen Ave (4 Cameras)

6.   New Street and Ocean Ave (3 Cameras)

7.   Rutgers Ave and McAdoo Ave (3 Cameras)

8.   Union Ave and Bergen Ave (4 Cameras)

9.   Storm Ave and Monticello Ave (4 Cameras)

10.   Ocean Ave and Bidwell Ave (3 Cameras)

11.   Winfield Ave and Ocean Ave (3 Cameras)

12.   Bostwick Ave and Bergen Ave (3 Cameras)

13.   Fairmount Ave and Bergen Ave (3 Cameras)

14.   Reed Street and Bergen Ave (3 Cameras)

15.   Van Nostrand Ave and MLK Drive (4 Cameras)
16. Randolph Ave and Harmon Street (4 Cameras)

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text:
Entity Framework Core 1.0 – Speed up the retrieval of large data sets with .AsNoTracking()

If you are experiencing performance issues with Entity Framework Core 1.0 when you try to include related objects in your LINQ and lambda expressions on record sets of just a few thousand records, (More about Lazy and Eager Loading here) then check out these examples on how to improve it. Of the many ways, the best way that I have found to negate those performance problems and to optimize your requests is by using .AsNoTracking()

What is AsNoTracking()
When you use .AsNoTracking() you are basically telling the context not to track the retrieved information. Sure, this turns off a useful EF feature, but in many cases (like building an api in my case) this feature is unneeded.

In summary, Tracking is turned on by default and is great if you want to retrieve and save objects all within the same context. But if this is not required, you should use AsNewTracking(). AsNoTracking() decouples the returned records from the context, making your queries much faster!

IList<Player> playerList = db.Player.AsNoTracking().ToList()

Example with Joins

IList<Player> playerList = (from p in db.Player
                        select p)
                        .Include(p => p.Team)
                        .ThenInclude(t => t.League)

It is also worth noting that there is another way to decouple your objects from EF.  This other way can be done by adding .AsEnumerable().  That would look like this:

var decoupledList = from x in TableA<strong>.AsEnumerable()</strong>


text:
Monday, August 17, 2015

Magic mountains 2: Into the woods, with the Strausses

A double-bass player walks to work in the Taiswald

I started to go to Pontresina with my parents at the age of 12, more years ago than it's seemly to admit. This mountain resort in the Engadin, south-east Switzerland, with its open, sunny aspect and jaw-shattering scenery became their favourite summer haunt; over the decade that followed I must have been there with them for at least six or seven summers. But I hadn't gone back since 1988 and both my parents are long dead.

This being a slightly difficult, landmark, stock-taking sort of year, I had an attack of nostalgia and wanted to visit once more, just to make sure it was still there, still real, and still as good as my romanticised imagination and memory has been making out.

It wasn't. It was far better. And there was no getting away from the music.

Every day, I remembered, there used to be a free concert in the woods, from 11am to 12 noon. The spot is called the Taiswald: a pine glade near the start of the mountain pathways, where the audience can assemble on benches to listen to an hour-long chamber programme of old-style favourites, lollipops, operetta medleys, arrangements, concerto extracts and more. I dreaded walking that way and finding the place had fallen into disuse. Switzerland seems quiet at the moment - the exchange rate could well be decimating  tourism - and after all, people don't go to concerts any more, if the doomsayers are to be believed.

Well, they do here. The Taiswald is flourishing. More than a hundred people came to the Camerata Pontresina's concert on Friday, a programme full of juicy tidbits like Offenbach's Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld (which I haven't heard since, probably, my last visit to the Taiswald), Johann Strauss's Music of the Spheres Waltz and Fischer's delicious South of the Alps Suite. Some things have changed with the years: for instance, there's now a printed booklet displaying the programmes for the whole summer. Similar outdoor series take place in nearby towns and villages, among them St Moritz and Sil Maria. The concerts are organised by an impresario in St Moritz who, I'm told, has a personal library of the arrangements.

The musicians arrive to play here from all over Switzerland - we met a cellist from the Zurich Opera, a fine young clarinettist who's studying in Lucerne, and of course the double bassist above. They must contend with the vagaries of the elements - Friday was blowy, with commensurate effect on the music on the stands, which they dealt with by using clothes-pegs (though if the weather is too awful the concert takes place in the church or cinema instead). And the trains go by, whistling, and the dogs trot past, barking, and occasionally newcomers arrive, open mouthed with surprise at finding such an eccentric pastime taking place in the forest - and sometimes they sit down to enjoy the music. As for the piano: it lives in the pavilion year-round, winter included. It still sounds relatively OK.

Camerata Pontresina preparing to play in the Taiswald

The Taiswald, it turns out, is an old and proud tradition. It has been going since 1909; in 2009 centenary celebrations were duly held. Among those who came across it and sat down to listen many decades ago was Richard Strauss - who was apparently scandalised by hearing an arrangement of a Mozart symphony for quartet and said it should be forbidden!

Strauss. I didn't realise how important Strauss was to me. I just never thought about it. I took him for granted. But the fact remains that the first piece that switched me on to orchestral music in earnest was his Don Juan. I was given a ticket for a Royal Phil matinee at the RFH when I was 12 and it opened with the tone poem, which I'd never heard before. When it flew out at us, the energy lifted me and held me up and I remember falling head over heels in love with the whole thing on the spot. I wanted to be part of it. Don Juan swept me off my feet. Eventually, having not managed to become part of an orchestra myself, I married a violinist who was - and in whose background Strauss features prominently. Tom's great-grandfather was a Berlin businessman with a summer house in Bavaria, not far from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and he knew the composer well; indeed, was a Skat-playing companion on summer evenings by the lakes.

Last Friday, we went to listen to a talk in the Hotel Saratz by the Swiss singer, musicologist and moderator Claudio Danuser about Strauss's connection with Pontresina. When Strauss's villa in Garmisch was requisitioned by the Americans at the end of the war, Strauss and his famously cantankerous wife Pauline took off for Switzerland. They moved hotels frequently because Pauline, true to form, kept falling out with the staff. But the family-run Saratz in Pontresina was a special favourite. Claudio had interviewed the proprietor about Strauss's stays there and was full of fascinating stories - among them, the Taiswald occasion mentioned above. Another time, the couple walked into the dining room and found musicians accompanying dinner. "Richardl," said Pauline, "play some Johann."

In the hotel garden is a wooden pavilion with a view across to the mountains of the Val Roseg, along which a favourite walk can be taken. It was in this structure in 1948 that Strauss completed the last of the Four Last Songs to be composed - 'Beim schlafengehen', ultimately the third in the set. I've always felt there is nothing in all 20th-century music that can quite compare with the beauty of this song and its violin solo.

The pavilion in the Hotel Saratz garden, where Strauss finished 'Beim schlafengehen'

So the elderly Richard Strauss was looking out at the Val Roseg as he worked on it. You can't really see the view in this photo, as it was very cloudy, but on a good day, when you are walking along it, the valley looks like this:

The Val Roseg, Pontresina

A mere 30 years later, there we were, me and my mum and dad, in the hotel next door. And in its garden, gazing at the same view as Strauss, without knowing it. I remember staying in a garden-floor room that must have been just a few metres away from that pavilion. Aged 14 I felt there was something in the air itself that was galvanising to creativity and I'd sit in the garden scribbling my attempts at novels by day and, by night, having the extraordinary dreams that one has at high altitude after dayfuls of fresh air and mountain walks. With no clue about Strauss - or anyone else, for Hermann Hesse apparently came here too, and Thomas Mann, and so on.......

It sounds matter-of-fact and so-what-anyhow to tell the story; but when something and somewhere and someone and that music have been as much part of you as your own nose for such a long time and you then learn something new about how it all connects, it feels quite another matter.
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
-- TS ELIOT, 'Little Gidding'

Here's the Strauss - sung by Nina Stemme.


text:
Welcome to Jets4Pets

Jets4Pets was created in order to answer the needs of many of our clients â€“ to provide flexibility and choice in pet travel solutions. Through understanding pet owners travel needs and pet travel regulations, we will provide a stress free experience for both you and your pets. At Jets4Pets we appreciate how important your pets are, as our team all have pets as part of their family.

With pets of our own, we can appreciate the concerns and stresses you may have, especially at a time with so much else happening in your life. At Jets4Pets we aim to alleviate this stress by handling each step of the process for you.

Whether youâ€™re relocating to sunny climes or emigrating to a new job or different culture, we can arrange for your pets to travel in order to enjoy a new life with you. We offer a full advisory service in relation to the Pet Passport Scheme and offer a range of other services including organising your flights, completion of all export documentation, boarding and delivery options and liaising with your vet to ensure that all the documentation is processed correctly. Weâ€™ve also been known to organise pet friendly accommodation overseas and can now offer an importation service from a number of other countries.

We are also proud to be members of IPATA, an international network of professional pet relocation specialists, allowing us to provide a truly global relocation service.

Why not call us today and discover how Jets4Pets can help!


text:
Vogue Discovers Big Booties

Illustration for article titled emVogue/em Discovers Big Booties

Yesterday Vogue published an online article titled, "We're Officially in the Era of the Big Booty." Cue all the eye roll gifs please. The article is a shining example of something Vogue displays oh so well: intentional cluelessness and an utter disregard for diversity.

People, we've been over this. In fact, I generously explained in April, quite extensively, why big booties, are not new, are not a trend and why a white woman is not the poster child for for a voluminous derrière.

The author of the article, Patricia Garcia, chronicles a cultural timeline of sorts surrounding this so-called rise of the booty. In general, I expect little to no self-awareness from Vogue, but the idea that we're now officially celebrating large butts is particularly rich coming from this publication.

Garcia mentions a number black women in the piece, of course, because she fucking has to, but she is careful not to use the word "black" specifically (or even the more PC African-American) or make any suggestion that widespread admiration for this feature predated a Vogue.com post. Her ability to dance around the crux of the subject is downright skillful.

But again, this is Vogue we're talking about. Vogue—the magazine that frequently Photoshops women into oblivion. Vogue—which recently featured its first non-white model on the coveted September cover for the first time in 25 years. Vogue—the magazine that publishes an annual Body Issue which comically claims to support the diversity of the female form but routinely defaults to the bodies of supermodels and ultra-toned male athletes. I mean, damn, if Vogue likes ass so much how come none of their models have any?

Let's be clear: we aren't officially in the era of shit. This is the "Era of the Big Booty" for oblivious white people only. Vogue and its homogenous group of editors are simply noticing for the first time that a fat ass is actually quite delightful when you don't Photoshop it away. A more accurate title for this piece would have been: "We At Vogue Are Just Now Starting to Sort of Warm Up to Different Body Types, Please Give Us a Cookie."

If you would like to see a master class in Columbusing, look no further:

For years it was exactly the opposite; a large butt was not something one aspired to, rather something one tried to tame in countless exercise classes. Even in fashion, that daring creative space where nothing is ever off limits, the booty has traditionally been shunned.

Who exactly are we talking about here? You can't be talking about the many women in my family who had absolutely no interest in taming their curves. You can't be talking about one of my idols growing up, Serena Williams, or Selena or literally any woman who has ever appeared in a rap video.

Garcia suggests that large butts were undesirable because what? You didn't want one? You can't have a big butt and be Vogue's favorite size — size zero? Further, the idea that everyone aspires to fit into fashion's standards — when fashion, quite regularly, doesn't even represent them — is absurd and steeped in the notion that whiteness is the default.

Perhaps we have Jennifer Lopez to thank (or blame?) for sparking the booty movement. When she first arrived on the scene in the late nineties, a lot of the buzz surrounding her focused on the back of her voluptuous body. Her derrière quite literally stood out against the other sex symbols of the moment, signaling a shift away from the waif era of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss and the outrageously large-breasted Pam Anderson.

Perhaps? Oh well golly gee wiz, perhaps we do! Perhaps Jennifer Lopez was one of the first major celebrities to flaunt her ample behind. Perhaps that's true because people who aren't Patricia Garcia have been saying this for years.

Garcia then, with total seriousness, goes on to cite Miley goddamn Cyrus has a harbinger of ass appreciation.

Then came the total bootification of pop music. At the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus proved you didn't need to have a large butt to become a part of the conversation, you just needed to know how to attract enough attention to one.

NO NO NO BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND. You do not get to pull this shit. You don't get to write about celebrating big booties and then turn around and give equal due to a woman who doesn't even possess a big booty. Garcia also conveniently forgets the parade of booty-blessed BLACK FEMALE dancers in that performance who Miley Cyrus treated like circus sideshows.

Some might argue that because this body shape has finally gotten the attention of a publication like Vogue, in a way it is new to pop culture. But something not making it onto the pages of Vogue doesn't mean it hasn't had a significant presence in the world of pop culture. They didn't put a black woman on the cover until 1974 and I recall black people contributing one or two things to the American cultural landscape before that. Vogue hasn't noticed because they aren't regularly out here checking for the beauty of women of color and that's the whole story.

Garcia mentions Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna—currently three of the biggest artists and pop culture figures in the world. (Now, I must say, I love Rihanna, but no one is really checking for Rihanna's ass and I think even she would admit that.)

Although she's been doing it since the beginning of her career, Beyoncé, in particular has reached such a stratosphere of celebrity that Vogue can no longer ignore her shape or the fact that she draws attention to and talks about her butt quite often.

I can concede that some women like Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Lopez are much more obviously flaunting their ample asses than they did in the past, but that's because they're simply capitalizing on this new white interest, which translates into white dollars, and frankly, I don't blame them. It's the same reason why we let white people think twerking was new.

And really, like most things, that's what it comes down to. Black women — and most women of color — are invisible to Vogue until it is in their financial interest to pay attention. I can't say I'm surprised, but I'd like to hope for better.

Screenshot via YouTube.

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You better have skinny legs and a skinny waist to go with that big ass though, or else GTFO, right?


text:
The role of PRAJA and ELF in TGF-beta signaling and gastric cancer.

Lopa Mishra, Varalakshmi Katuri, Stephen Evans

Research output: Contribution to journalReview article

Emerging research has shown that the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) pathway plays a key role in the suppression of gastric carcinoma. Biological signals for TGF-beta are transduced through transmembrane serine/threonine kinase receptors, which in turn signal to Smad proteins. Inactivation of the TGF-beta pathway often occurs in malignancies of the gastrointestinal system, including gastric cancer. Yet, only a fraction of sporadic gastric tumors exhibit inactivating mutations in early stages of cancer formation, suggesting that other mechanisms play a critical role in the inactivation of this pathway. Smad4, a tumor suppressor, is often mutated in human gastrointestinal cancers. The mechanism of Smad4 inactivation, however, remains uncertain and could be mediated through E3-mediated ubiquitination of Smad4/adaptor protein complexes. The regulation of the TGF-beta pathway through a PRAJA, a RING finger (RING-H2) protein, and ELF, a beta-Spectrin adaptor protein, both which were originally identified in endodermal stem/progenitor cells committed to foregut lineage, could play a pivotal role in gastric carcinogenesis. PRAJA, which functions as an E3 ligase, interacts with ELF in a TGF-beta-dependent manner in gastric cancer cell lines. PRAJA is increased five-fold in human gastric cancers, and inactivates ELF. This is particularly significant since ELF, a Smad4 adaptor protein, possesses potent anti-oncogenic activity and is frequently seen to be inactivated in carcinogenic gastric cells. Strikingly, PRAJA manifests substantial E3-dependent ubiquitination of ELF and Smad3, but not Smad4. The alteration of ELF and/or Smad4 expression and function in the TGF-beta signaling pathway may be induced by enhancement of ELF degradation, which is mediated by the high level expression of PRAJA in gastrointestinal cancers. These studies reveal a mechanism for gastric tumorigenesis whereby defects in adaptor proteins for Smads, such as ELF, can undergo degradation by PRAJA, through the ubiquitin-mediated pathway.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)694-699
Number of pages6
JournalCancer biology & therapy
Issue number7
StatePublished - Jul 2005

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Cancer Research

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text:
Modeling and Solving the Vehicle Routing Problem with Step Cost Function and Loading Consideration: A case study

Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is one of the major problems in the transportation and distribution planning. In the most previous studies, the objective of VRP models was distance and vehicle related costs. However in many industrial cases along with routing distance, vehicle loading amount is a factor of cost function. In this paper, we formulate a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model for heterogeneous vehicle routing problem in which problem objective has nonlinear relation with routing distance. Then by analytical methods we reformulate the model as a mixed integer programming (MIP). In this model, at the first transportation cost rate is determined by step function. Then cost of each vehicle calculated by multiplying the transportation cost rate to its loading amount.
Similar to other VRP problems proposed model is also NP-hard. We develop constructive heuristic algorithm to obtain an approximate solution for this problem. This algorithm is developed based on creating a traveling salesman problem (TSP) tour and partitioning it into vehicle routs by heuristic methods. We name proposed algorithm as Salesman Rout Partitioning for Vehicles (SRPV).
In order to evaluation the effectiveness of SRPV algorithm we design 54 experiments in four scenarios. In one hand, lower and upper bounds for these experiments have been obtained by commercial optimization software Cplex 12.2. Besides, proposed heuristic are programmed and compiled using Matlab 2010. Furthermore effectiveness of SRPV algorithm is investigated by two measures, difference percentage and complexity percentage. Our findings indicate that SRPV algorithm sufficiently effective as constructive heuristic for considered type of vehicle routing problem.
Moreover, to demonstrate the practicality of proposed model and solution heuristic, we study an industrial case at FERGAZ Company. This company charges gas cylinders and distributes them among geographically dispersed customers. By using Cplex 12.2 we couldn’t find any feasible solution for FERGAZ’s problem, but approximate solution could be found by heuristic algorithm.