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12 Mar 10
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Toppy Jetfoil Yakushima トッピフェリー屋久島There are several ways of getting to Yakushima, an island that is a World Heritage Site located off the coast of Kyushu.From Kagoshima, perhaps the most pleasant option is a two-hour ride on the "Toppy" jetfoil."Toppy" mean... |
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12 Mar 10
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24 Kaikan Sauna: Gay Shinjuku ２４会館24-Hour Kaikan is a gay sauna, part of a chain, located at the back of Shinjuku Ni-chome, and, with 8 floors, is the biggest cruising premises in the area. As the name indicates, 24-Hour Kaikan is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Foreig... |
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10 Mar 10
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Food Poisoning Chihana Kyoto Three-Star Restaurant 食中毒千花One of Kyoto's most revered kaiseki restaurants Chihana, a recipient of three stars from the Michelin Guide, was recently cited in a food poisoning case.On February 26th, a party of eight suffered high fever and diarrhea after dining at... |
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09 Mar 10
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Kyoto National Museum Treasures of the Hapsburg Monarchy 京都国立博物館ハプスブルクThe Kyoto National Museum, the wonderful Meiji Era brick pile across the street from Sanjusangendo and a high-end Hyatt Hotel, is currently showing a fantastic series of paintings and other items until Mar... |
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08 Mar 10
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Japan Newsletter Spring 2010 ジャパンニュースレターPlease join our Japan Visitor newsletter if you are planning a trip to Japan AND to win some great prizes this month.Even if you may never visit the country but are just interested in things Japanese please subscribe to ... |
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08 Mar 10
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Nagoya Friends at Harry's Diner in Sakae THIS SAT!! 3/13 83rd party in Nagoya! at featuring food from Charlie’s Date: Saturday March 13th, 2010Time: 7pm-9:30pm Bar is open till 2am and party guests can stay on for the live set at no extra charge!!!Drinks will be served between 7:00pm-9:15pm. Plac... |
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08 Mar 10
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The Nichiyu Truck ニチユウIn Tokyo and looking for beetroot, Italian rucola, fresh cassava, Amazon fruits like acai and cupuacu?Nichiyu International is a company in Tokyo that started as a foodstuffs provider for the sizeable Brazilian Japanese community here. The... |
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07 Mar 10
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Tagata Jinja Fertility Festival 2010 田県神社の豊年祭, 犬山、愛知県The 2010 Tagata Jinja Fertility Festival takes places on March 15 and is one of Japan's most celebrated "Phallic Festivals". Fifteen years ago there were a few hundred bemused spectators watching the processio... |
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06 Mar 10
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Japan This Week 7 March 2010 今週の日本House Hunting in ... TokyoNew York TimesHouse Hunting in ... TokyoNew York TimesFor Japan's Toyota Owners, Little Help With Acceleration ProblemsGuardianJapan says it won't comply with bluefin tuna banWashington PostLa princesa Aiko, v... |
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05 Mar 10
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Cherry Blossom Festival in DC 花見Springtime, perfect for having picnics, wearing shorts and admiring the Cherry Blossom in DC. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an two-week (per annum) event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the ch... |
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04 Mar 10
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Beware of Smuggling Beach Sign Southern Japan 密航・密輸の発見にご協力を！Close to the southern tip of Kyushu, not far from Sakurajima and Kagoshima - and North Korea - there was this sign planted on a bluff above a beach.It literally reads:Mikko Mitsuyu no Hakken ni go Kyoryoku o!"Than... |
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03 Mar 10
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Surnames in Japanese 日本 苗字Japan has its Suzukis, Tanakas, Katos and Watanabes just as the English speaking world has its Smiths, Taylors, Collinses and Wilsons, but there is also incredible variety in Japanese surnames, and especially first names – every bit as ... |
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02 Mar 10
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Sakurajima Volcano Erupting 桜島噴火On a brief trip to Kagoshima, we toured around the city ending up at an overlook above the center of downtown.As we joined a group of Chinese tourists, we were afforded a splendid view of Sakurajima, the volcanic island just across the bay.The... |
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01 Mar 10
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Mizuhiki 水引Mizuhiki is a traditional Japanese craft using rice paper, which is tightly binded and wound, starched and then bent into various shapes for use as decoration.The cord can be painted or entwined with thin strips of silk to color it. Mizuhiki was use... |
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28 Feb 10
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Workshop in Core Shamanism Kyoto Tokyo The Foundation for Shamanic Studiesシャーマニズム研究財団"Shamanism is a path of knowledge, not of faith, and that knowledge cannot come from me or anyone else in this reality. To acquire that knowledge, including the knowledge of the reality... |
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27 Feb 10
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Japan This Week 28 February 2010 今週の日本Toyota Touted $100 Million Savings After Limiting RecallNew York TimesToyota: Dems 'not industry friendly'PoliticoJapan fears US military row could escalateGuardianYou say 'Toyota,' and I say 'Toyoda'Washington PostUna tragicomedia japone... |
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26 Feb 10
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Japanese elementary school baseball 小学校の野球Baseball is just as popular in Japan as it is in the United States and, as in the US, Japanese baseball starts young. Wherever you go in Japan, you will see - and especially hear - baseball being practiced on school playgrounds.But Japan... |
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25 Feb 10
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Yakushima Island 屋久島Japan's Yakushima Island is an ecological wonder.In recognition of that, it was designated a natural World Heritage Site.Landing at the somewhat drab port on the jet foil from Kagoshima, we saw concrete and signs of typical Japanese constructi... |
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24 Feb 10
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Kyu 急The word kyu 急 in Japanese – pronounced just like “Q” – means “quick, immediate, rapid.” It means “rapid,” “immediately,” “urgent,” “steep,” depending on the context.Sono heya ni hairu toki, kyu ni kushami ga de... |
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23 Feb 10
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Nagoya Friends - Party at Red Rock! THIS SAT! 2/27 Nagoya Friends 82nd party in Nagoya! at Date: Saturday February 27th, 2010 Time: 18:30 - 21:00 Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:50pm. Place: The Red Rock (2F Aster Plaza Building, 4-14-6 Sakae, Nagoya (very close to Sakae Station) Fee:... |
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22 Feb 10
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Nihongo Fun & Easy - a new way to learn Japanese サバイバル初級日本語会話テキストNihongo Fun & Easy – Survival Japanese Conversation for Beginners is a new Japanese language "textbook that is not 'textbook'" for English speakers, filling an until now largely ignored gap i... |
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21 Feb 10
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Sti Ski Lodge Niigata Welcome to STI SKI LODGE located in the famous ski area of Ishiuchi, Niigata-ken, Japan.Prices for 2009-2010 season are:23 DEC 2009 - until season close JPY 3900 per person per night including tax, no meals!Minimum stay is 2 nights anytime!Full kitchen... |
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20 Feb 10
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Japan This Week 21 February 2010 今週の日本Japan’s Economy Grew 4.6% in Last Quarter of ’09New York TimesJapanese ship detains anti-whaling activistGuardianJapan finmin tests waters for sales tax debateWashington PostLa economía japonesa gana impulso pero sigue en deflac... |
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20 Feb 10
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Find A Parking Place In Japan 駐車場Before you can purchase a car in Japan, you must have a registered parking place within 2km of your home.Walk around where you live and look out for signs like these. The sign below means that there are places available.There's usually a tel... |
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18 Feb 10
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Nagoya Friends - Party at Red Rock! 2/27 (Sat.) Nagoya Friends 82nd party in Nagoya! at Date: Saturday February 27th, 2010 Time: 18:30 - 21:00 Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:50pm. Place: The Red Rock (2F Aster Plaza Building, 4-14-6 Sakae, Nagoya (very close to Sakae Station) Fee:... |
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18 Feb 10
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Hallelujah at Tokyo Dome 東京ドームのハレルヤTokyo Dome is one of the city's most famous sporting and entertainment venues. Strolling through the Dome's LaQua shopping and amusement park complex was this Japanese hip-hop/samba/rapper-style group revving up a very ... |
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16 Feb 10
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Kyoto Concert Hall 京都コンサートホールCompleted n 1995, The Kyoto Concert Hall is the home for the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra.It was designed by Arata Isozaki, the principal architect for the Barcelona Olympic Pavilion. The complex is made up of three prim... |
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15 Feb 10
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Beppu's Kannawa District 鉄輪The Kannawa area of Beppu in Kyushu is the most spectacular of the city's hot spring (onsen) districts for steam enthusiasts.Here are seven of Beppu's ten jigoku (hell) pools and the city's well-worth-a-visit Sex Museum.Hyotan Onsen (ひょ... |
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15 Feb 10
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Shin Otoko Selection Ceremony 儺負人選定式I've just got back from Konomiya, where the pillar-raising ceremony and the naoinin or shin-otoko selection ceremony has just taken place.A new wooden pillar (shime-bashira) with the words naoi shinji is erected in front of the main g... |
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14 Feb 10
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Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum 関ヶ原歴史民俗所資料館The fascinating Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum (Tel: 0584 43 2665) is the place to start any tour of the famous battlefield in central Japan.The two-story museum has a collecton of armor, helmets and weap... |
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13 Feb 10
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Japan This Week 14 February 2010 今週の日本Japanese Split on Exposing Secret Pacts With U.S.New York TimesOh, What a Feeling: Watching Toyota Flunk for OnceNew York TimesToyota undone by Japan's work ethic?GuardianAmerican Air, Japan Airlines seek antitrust dealWashington PostEl... |
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12 Feb 10
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Hadaka Matsuri Konomiya 2010 国府宮神社の裸祭りThe Konomiya Hadaka (Naked) Festival takes place this year on February 26.Konomiya is small town just outside Nagoya and the first stop on the Meitetsu express train from Nagoya Station to Gifu.Like many festivals in Japan, Hada... |
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11 Feb 10
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Kyoto Botanical Garden Conservatory 京都市植物園Located in the north of Kyoto City, the Botanical Garden was built on land donated by the Mitsui family - yes, that Mitsui family - to the City to commemorate the enthronement of the Emperor Taisho, in 1924.It is the oldest botanical gar... |
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11 Feb 10
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Himeji Castle 姫路城Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site located in the town of Himeji west of Kobe and Osaka in western Japan, is Japan's best-known and most-visited castle.It is known as the Shirasagijo, or White Heron Castle, because of its bright white exteri... |
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09 Feb 10
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Basic Workshop in Core Shamanism Tokyo Kyoto The Foundation for Shamanic Studiesシャーマニズム研究財団The Basic Workshop in Core Shamanism (Weekend) Kyoto: March 13-14, 2010Tokyo: March 27-28, 2010"Shamanism is a path of knowledge, not of faith, and that knowledge cannot come from me ... |
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08 Feb 10
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Valentine's Speed Dating @ TsurumaiTHIS SATURDAY (2/13) Nagoya Speed Dating is holding it’s 10th party in Nagoya! Date: Saturday February 13th, 2010 Time: 6-9pm registration from 6:00 to 6:30pm Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:50pm. Place: Nagoya Tsurumai City Public Hall, 1-1-3 Tsurum... |
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08 Feb 10
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Peruvian Band Busking In Japan ペルーの音楽A Peruvian combo dressed in ponchos and displaying some nifty footwork are a fixture at Kanayama Station in Nagoya on weekends. This performance was cut short by the arrival of the Japanese police with one young clip-board toting offic... |
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07 Feb 10
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Japan This Week 7 February 2009 今週の日本Prius Brake Inquiry May Be Another Blow for ToyotaNew York TimesOne Noodle at a Time in TokyoNew York TimesHonda profits accelerate with six-fold quarterly riseGuardianSharp posts $100 million profit on cost cutsWashington PostEl primer Mur... |
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05 Feb 10
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Trouble on Manseibashi 万世橋 映画You see it all in Tokyo’s electronics mecca, Akihabara (“Akiba” for short). A hang out for gaming nerds, stereo enthusiasts, music freaks, loli-goth girls, and all sorts of subculture clones, you come expecting some oddness.I was i... |
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05 Feb 10
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Sapporo Snow Festival 2010 さっぽろ雪まつりThe Sapporo Snow Festival starts today and will run until 11th February. The opening ceremony stats at 6.30pm at Minami 4 Nishi 4.The main sites for the various ice and snow sculptures are: Odori Park, Tsudome and Susukino - the ma... |
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04 Feb 10
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Asashoryu Quits Sumo 相撲Grand champion Asashoryu has announced he is quitting sumo in the wake of his latest scandal.The 29-year-old Mongolian is alleged to have punched and broken the nose of a man after a drinking binge at a night club in the capital during the New ... |
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03 Feb 10
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nakya なきゃ いけない・なんないA very typical characteristic of the Japanese is their built-in and relentless tendency to abbreviate everything.This sometimes grates - for example when my beloved homeland, New Zealand, gets abbreviated to Nyuzhi ... |
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03 Feb 10
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A gaijin's first experience of golf in Japan ゴルフNovember 4th, 1999 @ a golf course in Chiba.(Translated conversation)Waitress: What would you like?Me: I'll have toast and coffee pleaseGolfing partner 1: A mug of beer pleaseGolfing partner 2: Me tooGolfing partner 3: Lemon Sour pleaseIt was 7.3... |
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01 Feb 10
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Sekigahara 関ヶ原The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 is probably the most decisive battle fought in Japanese history, comparable to other great civil war battles such as the Battle of Marston Moor in England in 1644 and Gettysburg in the US in 1863.The decisive ... |
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31 Jan 10
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CC Lemon Hall 渋谷C.C.LemonホールCC Lemon Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo is a large (2,000 seat) concert hall used mainly for J-pop concerts. The space is also rented out for private or public events and is used on Adults Day in Japan for speeches by the mayor addres... |
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30 Jan 10
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Japan This Week 31 January 2010 今週の日本Mayor-Elect in Okinawan City Opposes U.S. BaseNew York TimesToyota: Ups and downs of a family dynastyGuardianJapan's prices, wages keep falling in DecemberWashington PostLa agencia S&P rebaja la calidad de la deuda pública de JapónEl ... |
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30 Jan 10
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Real Estate Agents in Japan 物件張り紙If you are looking for an apartment in Japan, a good place to start looking is the windows of real estate agents.The windows are covered with bukken-harigami - cards with information on available apartments to rent.Information included on... |
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28 Jan 10
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Nagoya Friends B&W party @ TsurumaiTHIS SATURDAY (1/30) Nagoya Friends is holding it’s 80th party in Nagoya! Date: THIS Saturday January 30, 2010 Time: 18:15 - 20:45 Drinks will be served between 6:30pm-8:40pm. Place: Nagoya Tsurumai City Public Hall, 1-1-3 Tsurumai (very close to JR Nago... |
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27 Jan 10
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kata 片The Japanese word kata 片 means "a fragment," "a piece of" and can be found as a component of many common, useful phrases.For example, katate 片手 means "one hand" or "one handed." "single-handed".A very common word using 片 is katatsukeru ... |
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27 Jan 10
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Beware of Financial Crimes in Japan 金融犯罪総会屋対策We recently received an email from our bank in Japan, alerting us of changes to accounts to go into effect in February.In June 2007, the Japanese government implemented its "Basic Principles to Prevent Damages from Antisocial Fo... |
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