Wednesday 23 April 2014

Hollywood hits and misses


Hollywood biblical blockbuster


Hollywood biblical blockbuster "Noah" has been banned in three Gulf countries. A recent survey in six Middle East and North African countries show two-thirds of citizens support banning movies and other forms of entertainment deemed offensive.






  • Almost half of Arab residents in six Middle East and North African countries say they watch Hollywood movies

  • But more than a third say American films have content that is "harmful to morality."

  • More than two-thirds agree that films or other entertainment programs should be banned if they are deemed to be offensive.




(CNN) -- Arab residents in the Middle East and North Africa may enjoy Hollywood blockbusters, but they are also wary of the content, saying it is potentially "harmful to morality," a study finds.


The "Entertainment Media Use in the Middle East" survey, commissioned by Northwestern University and the Doha Film Institute, interviewed more than 6,000 people -- both nationals and expats -- in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.


According to the survey 45% of respondents say they watch Hollywood movies, but 34% say American films have content that is "harmful to morality."


Only 15% say U.S.-made films are good for morality -- as opposed to 71% who feel the same about Arab movies.





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The respondents are also conflicted about other foreign films. While two-thirds say people benefit from watching movies from different parts of the world, 65% say they prefer films that portray their own culture.





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More than half (54%) say films are an important source of information about their own culture.





Millions of birds migrate in Galiliee

It is no surprise that an overwhelming number prefer Arab films, which are favored by more than 80% of overall respondents. In contrast, only around half of the citizens surveyed say they enjoy American and European movies.


A large majority of respondents believe entertainment should be regulated for both romantic and violent content. More than two-thirds agree that films or other entertainment programs should be banned if they are deemed to be offensive.


Respondents in Saudi Arabia and Egypt show the strongest support for censorship -- 76% and 77% respectively. Tunisia appears to be the most tolerant of all, but still more than half of its respondents support censorship.


"These apparently contradictory findings really are not, but reflect how the Arab world is coping with globalization and still grappling to preserve local culture," Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO of Northwestern University in Qatar, says in a statement.


In early March, three Gulf countries -- Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain -- announced that Hollywood biblical blockbuster "Noah" could not be screened in cinemas, saying the depiction of Noah -- whom Muslims revere as a prophet -- is taboo in Islam.





Two months earlier, in January, censors in the UAE and Qatar cut more than 40 minutes of the three-hour-long "Wolf of Wall Street," a Martin Scorsese-directed portrayal of a wayward stock trader, due to "foul language and explicit content," angering moviegoers in both countries.


Yet, the Northwestern University-Doha Film Institute survey shows that 72% of Qatari residents and 68% of Emirati residents generally support banning offensive content.


Hollywood films are not the only ones that ran aground in the Middle East and North Africa. Qatar pulled Bollywood erotic horror flick "Raaz 3" from theaters in 2012 and, along with the UAE, banned Indian comedy "Grand Masti" last year.


In 2012, a Tunisian court fined the head of a private TV station 2,400 Tunisian dinars (around $1,400) after his Nessma TV aired "Persepolis," a French-American animated film whose depiction of God was slammed by some religious leaders as offensive to Islam.


Read: Publish and be damned? The state of press freedom in the Middle East


Read: The dangers of being a cartoonist in the Arab world



Doctor: Phoenix VA managers tried to hide long waits





  • CNN has been reporting on delays in appointments and veterans' deaths

  • New revelations of 40 deaths involving Phoenix VA are perhaps the most disturbing yet

  • Retired VA doctor says there's an official wait list that he calls a sham

  • He says the real list is kept secret and has wait times that stretch into the months




(CNN) -- At least 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system, many of whom were placed on a secret waiting list.


The secret list was part of an elaborate scheme designed by Veterans Affairs managers in Phoenix who were trying to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans were forced to wait months to see a doctor, according to a recently retired top VA doctor and several high-level sources.


For six months, CNN has been reporting on extended delays in health care appointments suffered by veterans across the country and who died while waiting for appointments and care. But the new revelations about the Phoenix VA are perhaps the most disturbing and striking to come to light thus far.


Internal e-mails obtained by CNN show that top management at the VA hospital in Arizona knew about the practice and even defended it.


Dr. Sam Foote just retired after spending 24 years with the VA system in Phoenix. The veteran doctor told CNN in an exclusive interview that the Phoenix VA works off two lists for patient appointments:


There's an "official" list that's shared with officials in Washington and shows the VA has been providing timely appointments, which Foote calls a sham list. And then there's the real list that's hidden from outsiders, where wait times can last more than a year.





Veterans dying waiting for healthcare




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Deliberate scheme, shredded evidence


"The scheme was deliberately put in place to avoid the VA's own internal rules," said Foote in Phoenix. "They developed the secret waiting list," said Foote, a respected local physician.


The VA requires its hospitals to provide care to patients in a timely manner, typically within 14 to 30 days, Foote said.


According to Foote, the elaborate scheme in Phoenix involved shredding evidence to hide the long list of veterans waiting for appointments and care. Officials at the VA, Foote says, instructed their staff to not actually make doctor's appointments for veterans within the computer system.


Instead, Foote says, when a veteran comes in seeking an appointment, "they enter information into the computer and do a screen capture hard copy printout. They then do not save what was put into the computer so there's no record that you were ever here," he said.


According to Foote, the information was gathered on the secret electronic list and then the information that would show when veterans first began waiting for an appointment was actually destroyed.


"That hard copy, if you will, that has the patient demographic information is then taken and placed onto a secret electronic waiting list, and then the data that is on that paper is shredded," Foote said.


"So the only record that you have ever been there requesting care was on that secret list," he said. "And they wouldn't take you off that secret list until you had an appointment time that was less than 14 days so it would give the appearance that they were improving greatly the waiting times, when in fact they were not."





I feel very sorry for the people who work at the Phoenix VA. They all wish they could leave 'cause they know what they're doing is wrong.

Dr. Sam Foote




Foote estimates right now the number of veterans waiting on the "secret list" to see a primary care physician is somewhere between 1,400 and 1,600.


Doctor: It's a 'frustrated' staff


"I feel very sorry for the people who work at the Phoenix VA," said Foote. "They're all frustrated. They're all upset. They all wish they could leave 'cause they know what they're doing is wrong.


"But they have families, they have mortgages and if they speak out or say anything to anybody about it, they will be fired and they know that."


Several other high-level VA staff confirmed Foote's description to CNN and confirmed this is exactly how the secret list works in Phoenix.


Foote says the Phoenix wait times reported back to Washington were entirely fictitious. "So then when they did that, they would report to Washington, 'Oh yeah. We're makin' our appointments within -- within 10 days, within the 14-day frame,' when in reality it had been six, nine, in some cases 21 months," he said.


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Thomas Breen was so proud of his time in the Navy that he wanted to be treated only at a VA facility, his family says.

Thomas Breen was so proud of his time in the Navy that he wanted to be treated only at a VA facility, his family says.



In the case of 71-year-old Navy veteran Thomas Breen, the wait on the secret list ended much sooner.


"We had noticed that he started to have bleeding in his urine," said Teddy Barnes-Breen, his son. "So I was like, 'Listen, we gotta get you to the doctor.' "


Teddy says his Brooklyn-raised father was so proud of his military service that he would go nowhere but the VA for treatment. On September 28, 2013, with blood in his urine and a history of cancer, Teddy and his wife, Sally, rushed his father to the Phoenix VA emergency room, where he was examined and sent home to wait.


"They wrote on his chart that it was urgent," said Sally, her father-in-law's main caretaker. The family has obtained the chart from the VA that clearly states the "urgency" as "one week" for Breen to see a primary care doctor or at least a urologist, for the concerns about the blood in the urine.


"And they sent him home," says Teddy, incredulously.


Sally and Teddy say Thomas Breen was given an appointment with a rheumatologist to look at his prosthetic leg but was given no appointment for the main reason he went in.


The Breens wait ... and wait ... and wait ...


No one called from the VA with a primary care appointment. Sally says she and her father-in-law called "numerous times" in an effort to try to get an urgent appointment for him. She says the response they got was less than helpful.


"Well, you know, we have other patients that are critical as well," Sally says she was told. "It's a seven-month waiting list. And you're gonna have to have patience."


Sally says she kept calling, day after day, from late September to October. She kept up the calls through November. But then she no longer had reason to call.


Thomas Breen died on November 30. The death certificate shows that he died from Stage 4 bladder cancer. Months after the initial visit, Sally says she finally did get a call.


"They called me December 6. He's dead already."


Sally says the VA official told her, "We finally have that appointment. We have a primary for him.' I said, 'Really, you're a little too late, sweetheart.' "





At the end is when he suffered. He screamed. He cried.

Sally Brenn on the death of her father-in-law




Sally says her father-in-law realized toward the end he was not getting the care he needed.


"At the end is when he suffered. He screamed. He cried. And that's somethin' I'd never seen him do before, was cry. Never. Never. He cried in the kitchen right here. 'Don't let me die.' "


Teddy added his father said: "Why is this happening to me? Why won't anybody help me?"


Teddy added: "They didn't do the right thing." Sally said: "No. They neglected Pop."


First hidden -- and then removed


Foote says Breen is a perfect example of a veteran who needed an urgent appointment with a primary doctor and who was instead put on the secret waiting list -- where he remained hidden.


Foote adds that when veterans waiting on the secret list die, they are simply removed.


"They could just remove you from that list, and there's no record that you ever came to the VA and presented for care. ... It's pretty sad."


Foote said that the number of dead veterans who died waiting for care is at least 40.


"That's correct. The number's actually higher. ... I would say that 40, there's more than that that I know of, but 40's probably a good number."


CNN has obtained e-mails from July 2013 showing that top management, including Phoenix VA Director Sharon Helman, was well-aware about the actual wait times, knew about the electronic off-the-books list and even defended its use to her staff.





I think it's unfair to call any of this a success when Veterans are waiting 6 weeks on an electronic waiting list

From 2013 Phoenix VA e-mail obtained by CNN




In one internal Phoenix VA e-mail dated July 3, 2013, one staffer raised concerns about the secret electronic list and raised alarms that Phoenix VA officials were praising its use.


"I have to say, I think it's unfair to call any of this a success when Veterans are waiting 6 weeks on an electronic waiting list before they're called to schedule their first PCP (primary care physician) appointment," the e-mail states. "Sure, when their appointment is created, it can be 14 days out, but we're making them wait 6-20 weeks to create that appointment."


The e-mail adds pointedly: "That is unethical and a disservice to our Veterans."


Last year and earlier this year, Foote also sent letters to officials at the VA Office of the Inspector General with details about the secret electronic waiting list and about the large number of veterans who died waiting for care, many hidden on the secret list. Foote and several other sources inside the Phoenix VA confirmed to CNN that IG inspectors have interviewed them about the allegations.


VA: 'It is disheartening to hear allegations'


CNN has made numerous requests to Helman and her staff for an interview about the secret list, the e-mails showing she was aware of it and the allegations of the 40 veterans who died waiting on the list, to no avail.


But CNN was sent a statement from VA officials in Texas, quoting Helman.


"It is disheartening to hear allegations about Veterans care being compromised," the statement from Helman reads, "and we are open to any collaborative discussion that assists in our goal to continually improve patient care."


Just before deadline Wednesday, the VA sent an additional comment to CNN.


It stated, in part: "We have conducted robust internal reviews since these allegations surfaced and welcome the results from the Office of Inspector General's review. We take these allegations seriously."


Read the full statement here


The VA statement to CNN added: "To ensure new Veterans waiting for appointments are managed appropriately, we maintain an Electronic Wait List (EWL) in accordance with the national VHA Scheduling Directive. The ability of new and established patients to get more timely care has showed significant improvement in the last two years which is attributable to increased budget, staffing, efficiency and infrastructure."


Foote says Helman's response in the first statement is stunning, explaining the entire secret list and the reason for its existence was planned and created by top management at the Phoenix VA, specifically to avoid detection of the long wait times by veterans there.


"This was a plan that involved the Pentad, which includes the director, the associate director, the assistant director, the chief of nursing, along with the medical chief of staff -- in collaboration with the chief of H.A.S."


Washington is paying attention


The Phoenix VA's "off the books" waiting list has now gotten the attention of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee in Washington, whose chairman has been investigating delays in care at veterans hospitals across the country.


According to Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, what was happening in Phoenix is even worse than veterans dying while waiting for care.


Even as CNN was working to report this story, the Florida Republican demanded the VA preserve all records in anticipation of a congressional investigation.


In a hearing on April 9, Miller learned even the undersecretary of health for the VA wasn't being told the truth about the secret list:


"It appears as though there could be as many as 40 veterans whose deaths could be related to delays in care. Were you made aware of these unofficial lists in any part of your look back?" asked Miller.


"Mr. Chairman, I was not," replied Dr. Thomas Lynch, assistant deputy undersecretary, Veterans Health Administration.


Congress has now ordered all records in Phoenix, secret or not, be preserved.


That would include the record of a 71-year-old Navy veteran named Thomas Breen.


Tears, angry accusations mark hearing on delayed VA care


January: Congress demands answers


Curt Devine and Jessica Jimenez contributed to this report.


Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here.



Heathrow's new airport 'cathedral'





  • Heathrow's new Terminal 2 will open June 2 and handle up to 20 million passengers per year

  • The terminal features a 78-meter sculpture designed to resemble the turbulence of a tumbling stunt plane

  • Architect Luis Vidal says the terminal is a 'cathedral for the 21st century.'




London, England (CNN) -- The dust sheets were yanked off London Heathrow's gleaming new passenger terminal Wednesday, revealing what its chief architect says is a "cathedral for the 21st century" that'll change air travel for good.


Terminal 2, otherwise known as the Queen's Terminal, features vaulted ceilings filled with natural light that are designed to guide up to 20 million passengers a year exactly to where they want to be.


Disappointingly, it still looks like an airport building anywhere in the world.


That's not to say it doesn't have its merits -- as airport buildings go, Queen's Terminal will certainly be among the most pleasant when it carries its first flight on June 4.


It'll also help ease some of the air traffic congestion that has left Heathrow struggling to maintain its former status as Europe's chief aviation hub against rivals serving Amsterdam and Frankfurt.


MORE: U.S. airports are awful. Here's the problem ...


The terminal was showcased this week when journalists were invited to the unveiling of a gigantic airborne sculpture of twisting metal.









London Heathrow Airport has unveiled its new Terminal 2, otherwise known as the Queen's Terminal. Artist Richard Wilson says his "Slipstream" artwork inside the terminal's wide atrium shows Britain is the "world's cultural capital." London Heathrow Airport has unveiled its new Terminal 2, otherwise known as the Queen's Terminal. Artist Richard Wilson says his "Slipstream" artwork inside the terminal's wide atrium shows Britain is the "world's cultural capital."



The new Terminal 2 is part of an $18.5 billion master plan to remodel Heathrow Airport on the lines of Atlanta's international airport.The new Terminal 2 is part of an $18.5 billion master plan to remodel Heathrow Airport on the lines of Atlanta's international airport.



Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will officially open Heathrow's Terminal 2 in June.Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will officially open Heathrow's Terminal 2 in June.



The new terminal will accommodate 26 airlines flying to more than 50 destinations.The new terminal will accommodate 26 airlines flying to more than 50 destinations.



Glass skylights bring in natural light while changing LED lights are supposed to reflect the mood of passengers. What color is grumpy?Glass skylights bring in natural light while changing LED lights are supposed to reflect the mood of passengers. What color is grumpy?



The lounge area is designed to be a calm, relaxing and acoustically comfortable place, according to its architect.The lounge area is designed to be a calm, relaxing and acoustically comfortable place, according to its architect.



Journalists eye the closed duty free booze shop as they tour the terminal.Journalists eye the closed duty free booze shop as they tour the terminal.



The terminal will feature at least 81 self-service check-in machines and will handle up to 20 million passengers annually.The terminal will feature at least 81 self-service check-in machines and will handle up to 20 million passengers annually.



The lounge features several sculptures. Is this one made from car windscreen wipers?The lounge features several sculptures. Is this one made from car windscreen wipers?



British artist Richard Wilson says his "Slipstream" sculpture is inspired by a tumbling stunt planeBritish artist Richard Wilson says his "Slipstream" sculpture is inspired by a tumbling stunt plane



The terminal is designed so that it can easily be expanded when demolition of other buildings opens up space.The terminal is designed so that it can easily be expanded when demolition of other buildings opens up space.



Afraid of flying? Afraid of bulls? Steer clear of this Terminal 2 eatery.Afraid of flying? Afraid of bulls? Steer clear of this Terminal 2 eatery.



No brand new terminal is complete without a state of the art dot matrix printer.No brand new terminal is complete without a state of the art dot matrix printer.




Heathrow's new Terminal 2






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Heathrow\'s new Terminal 2Heathrow's new Terminal 2



'Cultural capital'


The 78-meter aluminum work entitled "Slipstream" was created by artist Richard Wilson to fill a wide atrium that passengers will cross when connecting to road and rail networks.


Inspired by the turbulence of a tumbling plane, it hangs from a series of pillars and resembles the riveted fuselage of a muscular vintage aircraft -- and a whale.


"It is a statement that says you've arrived in the cultural capital of the world," says Wilson.


Moving on through the airport, travelers pass through a broad hall filled with rows of security gates and into a huge central atrium that contains the lounge, shopping and dining areas.


There's more sculpture here, although on a less impressive scale -- one artwork resembles a tangle of windshield wipers.


Overhead, the undulating steel-framed roof is illuminated by glass skylights and LEDs that lead architect Luis Vidal says will change color "to accommodate the mood of the passenger."


The lounge is bordered on one side by vast windows that look out onto the airport canopy, with most gates within just a few minutes' walk.


MORE: World's biggest airport planned


"It's a very legible building," says Vidal, who describes his Terminal as a "piazza" to rival London's Covent Garden that will become a destination in its own right.


Soft launch


"Passengers can understand it very easily," says Vidal. "You can see how far you are from your plane, which makes you more relaxed."


The $4.2 billion building is certainly an improvement on the oppressive low ceilings and cramped quarters of the old Terminal 2, which closed five years ago after more than 50 years of service.


It will accommodate 26 airlines, including United, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and others among the global Star Alliance, and connect to more than 50 destinations.


"Nowhere else in the world do you have as many airlines flying to a single airport as you do in London," says Mark Schwab, Star Alliance's CEO.


Heathrow officials say they plan to ease the new terminal into operation, presumably to lessen the risk of repeating the chaos that engulfed the 2008 launch of the airport's prestigious Terminal 5.


John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow's development director, says just one flight is planned on the opening day, but there were no guarantees everything would run smoothly.


MORE: And the world's busiest airport is ...


The new terminal arrives amid a campaign, led by London mayor Boris Johnson, to close Heathrow and build a new high-capacity airport in a river estuary on the other side of the city.


It's a plan unlikely to derail Heathrow's $18.5 billion long-term plan to remodel the airport along the lines of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport -- the world's busiest.


Holland-Kaye said the Terminal 2 would help alleviate some of the current problems, but officials would still pursue a "politically complex" campaign to build an environmentally controversial third runway.


"We are ready and able and have private money to deliver the hub airport that Britain needs and deserves," he said.



Best sushi Obama ever ate






President Barack Obama waves as he steps from Air Force One after landing in Tokyo on April 23. See photo gallery as Obama begins his week-long trip to Asia.President Barack Obama waves as he steps from Air Force One after landing in Tokyo on April 23. See photo gallery as Obama begins his week-long trip to Asia.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, center, greets President Obama upon his arrival in Tokyo. At left is Edwin Schlossberg, her husband.U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, center, greets President Obama upon his arrival in Tokyo. At left is Edwin Schlossberg, her husband.

President Obama, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before a private dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro restaurant in Tokyo. Obama launched an Asian tour dedicated to reinvigorating his policy of "rebalancing" U.S. foreign policy toward Asia.President Obama, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before a private dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro restaurant in Tokyo. Obama launched an Asian tour dedicated to reinvigorating his policy of "rebalancing" U.S. foreign policy toward Asia.

Barack Obama with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro sushi restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district on April 23.Barack Obama with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro sushi restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district on April 23.

Office workers try to catch a glimpse of President Obama as he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have dinner in Ginza district in Tokyo.Office workers try to catch a glimpse of President Obama as he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have dinner in Ginza district in Tokyo.









  • On Wednesday night, U.S. President Obama dined at what many consider the world's best sushi restaurant

  • Chef Jiro Ono is the first sushi chef in the world to receive three Michelin stars

  • The 19-piece "Chef's Recommended Special Course" costs 30,000 yen (about $292)




(CNN) -- Anyone who imagines U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed territorial disputes with China or the U.S.'s "pivot to Asia" foreign policy during their private dinner in Tokyo on Wednesday likely isn't familiar with the restaurant where the two leaders dined.


Ahead of a protocol-bound formal state visit that officially begins on Thursday, Abe took Obama to Sukibayashi Jiro, the fabled restaurant in Tokyo's fashionable Ginza district widely regarded as the best sushi restaurant in the world.


Diners approach Sukibayashi Jiro with a sense of reverence.


The experience provided by head chef and proprietor Jiro Ono leaves little time for small talk, much less big talk.


The focus is on the fish.


Heralded as a Japanese national treasure, Ono, who turns 90 next year, is the first sushi chef in the world to receive three Michelin stars.


With hundreds of onlookers behind police barriers lining the streets near the restaurant, Obama and Abe, neither wearing neckties, shook hands and entered the basement restaurant. New U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, also attended the dinner, which lasted about an hour and a half.




Jiro Ono is the first sushi chef in the world to receive three Michelin stars.

Jiro Ono is the first sushi chef in the world to receive three Michelin stars.



Like those who have gone before him into this shrine of sushi, Obama did not leave disappointed.


"President Obama told me that, 'I was born in Hawaii and ate a lot of sushi, but this was the best sushi I've ever had in my life,'" Abe told Japan's NHK network after the meal.


So what did Obama and Abe experience once the doors closed on their private dinner?


The following review of Sukiyabashi Jiro, originally published by CNN in 2012, might give a small taste.


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World's best sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro


Hidden in a basement attached to the Ginza Metro Station, Sukiyabashi Jiro has vaulted into the worldwide cultural milieu thanks to the 2012 release of the David Gelb feature-length documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi."


Rather than simply watch the spectacular food porn that is Gelb's doc, I went a step further, traveling directly to the source to offer the following account of Chef Jiro's legendary soft-handed, two-fingered technique that pairs fresh nigiri cuts from the Tsukiji fish market with warm and delicate rice.


Here's how the evening went.


Spoiler: I wasn't disappointed.


6:58 p.m.


Walking through the entrance of Sukiyabashi Jiro, I take a deep breath, slowing my heart rate to match the tranquil environment inside.


Minutes earlier, while lost on the streets of Ginza, I was worried about missing the seating on a three-month-old reservation and the resulting 15,000 yen ($146) cancellation penalty.


But I've arrived on time, prepared to eat some sushi.


Online clamor has it that the folks at Jiro are wary of non-Japanese, some people even going so far as to assert the restaurant's service is rude; so I'm extra cautious, but encounter no such attitude.


I'm escorted to one of 10 seats at this shrine to Japanese sushi, offered a warm towel to clean my hands and face, a cup of tea and even a small rubber pad so that my camera doesn't make direct contact with the altar-like counter top.


MORE: Celebrating Tokyo as 'world's greatest city'


7 p.m.


The staff wastes no time, quickly asking if I have any dietary restrictions.


When I answer no, Chef Jiro and his son Yoshikazu immediately present a menu detailing the 19-piece "Chef's Recommended Special Course," followed by the first dish, karei, or sole.


A light, flat fish, the sole is expertly glazed with soy sauce and placed atop a two-inch bed of rice.


With a bit of hesitation, I forgo chopsticks, soy sauce and wasabi altogether for the traditional fingers-only approach and prepare to enjoy that first taste of perfection.




Karei -- perfect opening bite.

Karei -- perfect opening bite.



7:01 p.m.


The karei cleanses my palate, offering a dose of fishiness without overpowering the taste buds.


It's the perfect appetizer, and there's no doubt that chef Jiro has designed tonight's custom menu to lead my sense of taste through a special gastronomic journey.


7:02 p.m.


Next up, sumi-ika, or squid.


Its slightly rubbery texture engages my teeth to chew a bit more and spread the flavor around my mouth.


The quality of the fish is already apparent in these first two pieces, but what's also clear is that Jiro's special grade of rice, made available only to him, is the unsung hero of this sushi combination.


Served at body temperature, the rice is slightly acidic, carrying a distinct flavor of vinegar, and subdues the palate to complement the explosive flavors of the fish.


7:04 p.m.


A naturally slow eater, I'm already having trouble keeping up with Jiro's pace, but I have faith that his speed is designed to enhance the culinary experience, and I quickly engulf his next cut, inada, or young yellowtail.


Rich in flavor and lightly glazed with soy sauce, the inada is the first real "fishy fish" in the sequence.


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7:05-7:09 p.m.


The holy trinity of sushi has arrived: Akami, Chu-toro and Oo-toro; a progression of tuna nigiri, aged up to 10 days, that transitions from the leanest to the fattiest, and ensures that I'll never again be able to enjoy another restaurant's raw fish in my mouth quite this much.


While the Akami sets the tone, and the Oo-toro rounds out the movement, it's the Chu-Toro, the lightly marbleized, medium fatty tuna from the upper belly, paired with a hint of wasabi between the fish and the rice, that melts on my tongue, evaporating into a sublime and heavenly flavor as I swallow.


MORE: How to eat sushi




Gizzard shad -- herring, but different.

Gizzard shad -- herring, but different.



7:11 p.m.


Kohada, or gizzard shad, is next, and while I've never heard of this fish, it's a member of the herring family and its shiny sliver and blue-spotted skin are so picturesque that I momentarily pause in awe before popping this bite in my mouth.


7:13 p.m.


The marathon continues with akagai, or ark shell clam.


The first shellfish on the menu, the akagai carries an interesting slimy texture that's balanced by an engaging chewiness.


7:15 p.m.


Piece number nine is the tako, or octopus.


Supposedly massaged by Jiro's apprentices for 50 minutes prior to serving, the tako is chewy, crunchy and refreshing, and served with a light salt rub.


But please, "no soy sauce," explain the master chef and his son, the first words they've uttered during this entire experience.


7:16 p.m.


Aji, or horse mackerel, is served.


I quickly take the aji down, followed by a small bite of pickled ginger.


7:18 p.m.


Next up is kuruma-ebi, or tiger shrimp.


A two-piece serving -- one head, one tail -- kuruma-ebi is a hearty and meaty prawn, with vibrant coloring, expertly cut to incorporate the flavor of the head, and a complete work of art.


MORE: Tokyo travel: 11 things to know before you go




We dream of sayori.



7:19 p.m.


Sayori, or springtime halfbeak, arrives.


While not a popular nigiri cut outside of Japan, it's a beautiful specimen, a long sparkly strip of fish wrapped like a ribbon atop the rice, full of rounded ridges on one side.


A species apparently fed upon by predatory fishes, this sayori has just become the victim of a red-blooded carnivore.


7:20 p.m.


Never before have I ever seen such a magnificent clam; the hamaguri, topped with a touch of sweet glaze, is both chewy and satisfying.


It carries the distinct flavor of clam, but with none of the regular crunchiness found in shellfish mantle.


7:22 p.m.


Piece number 14, saba, or skinless mackerel.


Fresh, fishy, moist and succulent, the saba is another nigiri slice that melts upon consumption.


Jiro may not say much, and while many previous customers have mistaken his silence as contempt, the truth is that he speaks with his palms and fingers, which create a combination of fish and rice unmatched by any other.


7:23-7:26 p.m.


Yoshikazu prepares the soft-yet-crunchy seaweed outer layer for another trio of rich flavor: uni, or sea urchin, kobashira, or small scallop abductor muscle and ikura, or salmon roe.


A bottom feeder, uni is generally something I avoid, but from the hands of Chef Jiro it becomes a creamy, rich morsel of the ocean floor.


Kobashira and ikura are equally good, the small scallops glazed and tender, the roe larger than normal, a quick shot of salmon juice squirting out as each individual egg is popped with every chew.


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Ikura desu ka? Yes it is ...

Ikura desu ka? Yes it is ...



7:28 p.m.


Anago, or saltwater eel, is the final fish in the omakase set.


Unlike any other eel I've ever eaten, it carries a sweet kabayaki taste -- Yoshikazu himself once again suggests "no soy sauce."


7:29 p.m.


The "Chef's Special Course" comes to a close with tamago, a sweet egg that tastes a bit like sponge cake.


One of Sukiyabashi Jiro's many specialties, tamago is a perfect desert, fluffy and moist, a satisfying end to an intense 30 minutes.


7:31 p.m.


I bow slightly toward Jiro, acknowledging his skills, and he bows back.


All at once, I'm whisked away to a booth behind the main sushi bar for a slice of juicy honeydew melon, served for its digestive benefits, and another cup of tea.


7:37 p.m.


While the whole experience is priceless, it's time to put a figure on this sushi dream.


One of Jiro's shokunin, or "craftsmen," then presents me with a bill for 30,000 yen ($292), plus tax, and kindly reminds that it's cash only.


Significantly lighter in the wallet, I surrender.


Jiro has lived up to its reputation as the world's greatest sushi restaurant, and although the price was hefty, the food was certainly worthy.


Getting there: Sukiyabashi Jiro , Tsukamoto Sogyo Building, B1/F, 2-15, Ginza 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (Ginza Metro Station Exit C6) +81 (0) 3 3535 3600 (reservations must be made from a Japanese telephone number).


Hours of operation: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Closed on Sundays, public holidays, Saturday evenings, mid-August and year-end holidays.


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