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The Japanese Girls Guide
The link to this came up in one of my alerts for new sites that contain the word "Japan". If you have visited the site you a title like "Japanese girls guide" is the sort of link that will get clicked. I read the information as it was laid out on the site and it seemed to be mainly the guys bragging about how much poonany (I believe this is the word they would use) they get. I wanted to contact the authors to ask a couple of questions before I put out 2,000 yen for a 400 page book in digital format but the site was lacking in any sort of contact information. 

Seems to me that if you are selling something on the internet you pretty much need to have some sort of contact info in case there is a problem with your download or if they want that very impressive 150% satisfaction refund.

That was the moment I grew suspicious, so now more than ever I wanted to ask some questions. I did what any sensible person would do and started with whois information. I found the following:

Registrant Contact:
japanese-girls-guide.com Private Registrant 
A Happy DreamHost Customer
417 Associated Rd #324
Brea, CA 92821
US
+1.2139471032

What has happened is that the site itself was registered through a hosting company which essentially hides your personal information. I could call the hosting company and say I want my 150% money back because I did not get a model to have sex with me the day after reading the book. The hosting company didn't make that promise and they have no legal reason to pass out personal information, so this is a perfect cover for people who are trying to scam others on the internet.

My real suspicion was that there was no actual book to be had. A revelation hit me that since it was a digital copy in this day and age if someone had actually bothered to pay for it, someone would have already pirated it and put it on the torrent sites.

I spent a little time searching the big sites then hit some torrent search sites and as I suspected, there was no book to be found. I started looking to see if anyone else on the internet had read or reviewed the book. I found some sites that linked to the page, basically to make fun of it like I plan to do from now on, only I am going to be way more thorough. I also found this: http://tokyo.craigslist.jp/bks/1417406812.html

So I have come to the conclusion this is a scam to try and get 2,000 yen from people, and return nothing to them. So the only thing you are going to get for your money or time is the information included on the actual site itself. So lets take a gander at the content you will have access to.

At first they tell you a story, the story I have seen in about a million Japanese movies and anime. The loser tries hard, never gives up, and becomes the best at whatever sport or thing he is trying to do. In this case, girls. This story has proven its worth through its many iterations and continued success. That's because people want to believe its true. This is where most scams get their feet. Also they decorate the sides of the site with images of porn stars, professional models and race queens. There is even an anime character, which makes me wonder if reading this book means I could get her.

They say they were clueless, and you would have to be to believe the site. They couldn't get girls to pay attention to them and then they learned "tricks" to get the girls. They can't tell you what any of these tricks are without selling you the book, nor could they even give you a clue, but they can tell you that they involve "culture" which in Japan is different from what you know back home. You see how full of truth that is?

Yes, back home some things will work that don't work here. They fail to include the part where probably a lot of the things do work. Let me give you some examples and charge you nothing. "Be a nice guy." You would be amazed at how well girls respond to this. Probably because most guys spend their time trying to use "tricks" to lure girls into their apartments. "Be genuinely interested in the girl your talking to." This includes such time tested advice like "Don't stare at her boobs.", "Don't act like a moron." and "Doing things that are completely unnatural to you don't help."

I had a guy I worked with who wanted to know what secret pick up line I used to get girls. I told him it was "Hi." and he didn't believe me. This is what happens when someone has problems doing something they see other people doing with relative ease, they think there's a a secret kung-fu scroll they just have to find and read and then they will become champions of the world.

The problem with the definition of success was the next thing that came to my mind. The site's language is trying very hard to appeal to the baser instincts of the male animal by talking about volume of conquests and then talking about how these conquests were of such high quality, such as "models, newscasters and idols."

It isn't really fair for me to say that this is not one form of success, but to me, if any of the women were actually of high value and quality, you think the guy would want to keep them around. I cannot say I haven't had my own dry spells, but basically since the age of 16 to when I got married I always had a girlfriend. If you are going to talk volume I don't rank that high because most of the girls I have dated were pretty long term. (high school: 3 years / university: 6 years / a couple of 2 year relationships then marriage) So my argument would be that the girls I have dated seriously have been good enough for me to want to keep them around for more than one day. Wanting to bang girls is an understandable drive, it just doesn't translate into an actual satisfying relationship by its own definition.

Taken from the site. "We sat down with four young hot Japanese girls from different backgrounds, bought them some drinks, and let them talk freely in their own language about what turns them on - as well as what turns them off. We learned what they really think about foreign guys, and also what it's like to be a young, pretty, single girl in Japan today. The results took even us by surprise!"

This is actually a really good idea and you know what you could do, you could sit down with an actual girl and buy her an actual drink and actually talk to her. The results may even take you by surprise.

Then we get into the actual nitty-gritty.

"• The Top Ten mistakes foreigners make with Japanese girls
Drawn from our own observations, other foreigners in Japan, and from talking to Japanese girls themselves, we've pinned down the top ten mistakes that foreigners are making with Japanese girls out there, every day - so you know not to make them!"

If #1 on this list is not "buying an e-book online about how to meet Japanese girls" then you really have been ripped off.

 "Setting up a mixi account - the English guide
Move over MySpace and Facebook - mixi is Japan's premier social networking site, with over 25 million users. Every day scores of curious young Japanese girls turn to mixi to seek out new friends... as well as interesting, exotic boys. There's only one problem - the whole site is in Japanese, and there's no English version! With our comprehensive mixistart-up guide, this is a problem no longer. Using full-color screenshots and translations throughout, we'll take you all the way from the sign-up page, right through to making contact with girls in your area."

Also, this behavior will basically get you banned. Two years ago Mixi lowered the registrant age to 12, and promptly changed the terms and conditions of their agreement to match. Yes, feel free to join mixi and try to make friends, but if you hit on someone they will close your account. Also, if you hit on someone underage, they will tell the police.

"150% guarantee
We know you'll get so much our of Japanese Girls - The Guide that we offer a full, 150%  no-conditions guarantee if you're not completely happy.

Sound strange? It just means that if you don't benefit from the techniques and advice in the book, we'll give back all your money + 50%, and you can keep the book including all the bonus material. You have a full 90 days from purchase to make up your mind."

This is where it gets really suspicious because, as mention in the beginning of this write up, THERE IS NO CONTACT INFORMATION which means when you are not satisfied you can't tell anyone to get your money back, let alone the extra 50% they are promising.

The site is pretty new, 2009-10-29 (Thursday)  launch day, was listed by the hosting. I think this might be why it hasn't really gotten much attention yet. I really REALLY want one of two things. If you have ordered the book, is it real? Did you get something? Does it have any of the stuff promised? If so I need to do a whole new write up starting with an apology, but if it's real, I will get it. That, or, does anyone have any contact information for the people who set up the site? Does anyone know the authors? We have a lot of questions for them and if they are a smooth as they claim to be an interview video on HN won't hurt you.


Z:Hey, saw your Christmas video from Jprobe, checked this site out, saw this post. Wanted to comment and say that I actually had ordered that pdf. Yes, it's a PDF, not an actual book. I thought I'd quickly educate you and your readers on the content / idea behind it.

The eBook comes from some PUAs (Pick-up Artists) that have been living in Japan. If you haven't heard by now what a "Pick-up Artist" is, it's someone who studies the systematic breakdown of human social interactions in order to learn about attracting women. From the tone of your post I'd venture to guess that you not only haven't heard of the term, but you probably are one of those that hear about it then instantly turn against it. I recommend to everyone to read "The Game" by Niel Strauss, it's a novel about the true story of a New York Times reporter being assigned to the subculture, infiltrating it, then eventually becoming absorbed in it and ending up the best in the business (at the time). Great read.

There are a lot of these PUA guides out on the internet, and as anyone who's invested any time into them can tell you, they do work, to a certain extent. Trying to buy a girl a drink to talk to you, as you suggested, is Newbie Mistake #1. Compare someone doing that to someone using a technique (called an "opener", it's just an interesting and unique question) and I guarantee you the results will be less favorable towards you. So, let's assume for the sake of discussing the content in the PDF that it actually works, should it be sound advice. Okay?

As for the content...well, it's really hit or miss. Having lived in Japan for about a year already and being able to speak the language, I didn't really learn much from the eBook. Nearly everything that they had talked about I had already figured out on my own. Essentially they give tips on how to be a bit more interesting than your run-of-the-mill gaijin - you know, the guy who comes to Japan and actually thinks he's the shit when all the girls give him 5 minutes of attention, but then can't figure out why they've suddenly turned cold and he can't restart the conversation. We've all been there, for sure. They give advice on being playful, to respond with saying you're from the depths of Africa when they ask you where your from (guess this wouldn't work if you're black, but you get the point).

All things considered, I found myself nodding along as I read. I don't think they make any incorrect claims, but the target audience is really someone who is coming to Japan for the first time and thinks that you can go up and talk to someone like you can in America (you can't). I'd recommend it, sure. But if you can speak the language, have a decent understanding of how approach in Japan is different in America (try striking up a conversation in a supermarket in both countries and see the difference), then any helpful advice would best be found elsewhere.

Finally, the contact info thing scared me too. I decided to take them up on their offer (but only for a full refund, I didn't want to take their money) but couldn't find an email on the site. There are two contact emails within the eBook, however, and I received an email from them and my money on the same day as my request. Good service. Also, you probably won't find the pdf on torrents because it's a) relatively new and b) they mark the pdf with your email address (which is tied to your credit card account for when you bought the book) so they know who uploaded it. I'm sure there's a way to strip the pdf of the lock, but I don't know if it, nor would I imagine that something so niche as this would be something people would spend time cracking and uploading to a torrent site.

n8:Z, thanks a lot for your comment. This is some information we were hoping to fish out with this post. I wonder if the makers of the book realize how many potential customers they lose by keeping their contact information a secret.

We are not so oblivious to the PUAs as you think, Peter just doesn't care for that literature. The problem with Peter's advice is that he is tall, athletic, fairly handsome and naturally pretty charming around girls. So for him, buying a girl a drink and saying "Hello," has a really high success rate. And for the sake of semantics, he's not saying to buy a girl a drink so she'll talk to you, like a bribe. He is saying that once you are talking to a girl, there's nothing wrong with being chivalrous and buying her a drink. I don't do that for personal, slightly misogynistic reasons, but it does go over really well with a girl who is already interested in you. However, you are absolutely right about this being a big mistake if you are trying to create interest. If the girl doesn't want to talk to you, buying her a drink isn't going to change that.

You speak very kindly of the site and their product, but their site does not paint their product as wholesome as your "review." You speak of it in a respectful tone like, "This book can help you become better at interacting with people therefore improving your social life." Much like the PUA material I am familiar with, you focus on methods and goals that reach far beyond just getting girls; something that I was both surprised and pleased to learn about PUAs. If that is true of the book, then that's good. The problem with the Japanese girl's guide site is that it is written in a tone more like, "Read this book and learn how to bang a bunch of Japanese chicks," posted along side of pictures of AV idols and race queens in order to appeal to readers' sex drive.

So while their product may be as legitimate and respectful as you say(something that I'm still not sure of since your post is the first positive thing I've read about it), their site is still misleading and annoying.

Not that I feel I need to defend our manhood, but I will anyway. Speaking for the contributors to this site, none of us have much trouble with ladies. 3 out of 4 of us are already married, with me being the one that doesn't belong. And in all respect to the ladies, the other guys' wives are hot.

I've read some PUA literature, including the book you mentioned. Though it didn't change my life since most of the stuff in the books were things that I already knew and did naturally, I did learn a few things and was able to find some of my weak spots. And that will be my last point The Japanese girls guide says that PUA stuff doesn't work in Japan because the culture is different. I have yet to find any of the advice written in those books backfire in Japan. If you have game, you're already set. If you don't, it wouldn't hurt to read something. I'm just not sure if Japanese girls: the guide is the material you should go for.

Maybe the writers of the book could talk to us and clear that up.

SMASH:"Maybe the writers of the book could talk to us and clear that up."

Okay - let's do it!

Hey there, I'm SMASH, the author of Japanese Girls - The Guide. First of all, just want to say thanks for taking the time to write about our book. A few things you wrote really caught my attention, and I'd like to respond if I may.

First and foremost - Is there really a book? 9 months of late nights, hard work, exhaustive rewrites and edits, and over 400 PDF pages says there is! Japanese Girls - The Guide is a genuine product, that myself, my co-writer, and a number of other contributors put a not insubstantial amount of work into. It's a project that consumed an enormous amount of my time last year - and the result is something I'm very proud of (as the previous commenter pointed out, we managed to keep it off the torrent sites with a smart piracy deterrent mechanism - so, sorry to throw a spanner in the works of your piracy plans ;p ).

Secondly, you're absolutely right about the contact info thing - I looked at the website just a moment ago, and was pretty surprised to see that, as you said, we don't have a contact link there. We actually have several addresses by which you can contact the authors and the publishers (smash@smash-asia.com is mine; info@japanese-girls-guide.com is the direct line to distribution/publisher), and it's a pretty big oversight that these addresses aren't accessible on the site. Good point, well made, and I'm going to see to it that we get that fixed ASAP. Domo!

Moving on - we have honoured *all* the requests for the 150% refund that we've received (which - tooting my own horn for a moment - was, like, 2 or 3 in total - out of several hundred sales, and a lot of *very* positive feedback ;) If the website appears scammy because of the lack of contact info, and the way the domain is indexed, then that's an oversight on our part, and we need to sort that out. We believe that the product we're selling is worth 2,000 yen - and if anyone disagrees, we'll be glad to give them all their money back - plus a little bit more for their trouble. I'm a writer, not a scam-artist, and neither I, nor anyone else in this project have any intention of scamming anybody! (again, as your previous commenter will be able to confirm, they got their money back as soon as they asked for it)

Okay, nextly, and perhaps most importantly, let's address the "PUA" thing. I'm not a "PUA", and this isn't really a "pick-up" book. I've read a bit of "PUA" literature, including its dissection "The Game" (great read actually. I've loved Neil Strauss since his work co-writing the Marilyn Manson autobiography), but I'm really not into that world. The intro to the book actually lays this right down:

"This isn't your typical “pick-up chicks” guidebook, filled with scripts and pre-written lies to get a women into bed. You’re better than that. "This isn't one of those “Pick-up Artist”-guru type books, filled with non-specific advice and vague whimsy about self-improvement, peppered with some kind of secret code language, rife with complicated acronyms and terminology that turns the act of talking to girls into something resembling a football play." -- Japanese Girls - The Guide, pg.14

I'd hazard a guess that, ironically, you and I probably share very much the same feelings (and casual distaste) for "PUA"s. The practice of treating women as "targets", and reeling off some pre-rehearsed shite in order to "dazzle and amaze" them, is, well, pretty retarded really. I think people who rely on that are compensating for something.

So now I've talked a bit about what Japanese Girls - The Guide *isn't*, I think I should say a few words about what it *is*.

Just over 3 years ago I arrived in Tokyo, knowing no-one, with only a few basic lines of the local language at my command, and really no clue about the intricacies of Japanese social culture, or what I was doing. If anyone was the archetypal "baka gaijin", it was me - through-and-through. I was a single twenty-something guy, and, as is the way things go, I soon found myself entering the dating world with some pretty Japanese girls. And, from there, I think I managed to make every cringeworthy gaffe in the book. You may well be some super-suave casanova who makes all this stuff look effortless (in which case I envy you! Why couldn't you have written the book so I could have read it before I got to Japan!), but me - I was a klutz. This book would have a been a slapstick comedy tome called "1001 Ways to FAIL with Japanese women" if I hadn't grit my teeth, and determined to sort myself out - and also met some cool guys (also *not* "PUAs"), who helped me overcome my overwhelming idiocy, ippo-zutsu.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and the baka-gaijin was nowhere to be seen around my address. I had mastered the language, fine-tuned my instincts to Japanese social culture, and I had become a pretty popular young man out and about in Tokyo, if I do say so myself. On top of that, I'd had a number of involvements with some amazing Japanese women - some playful, some more serious (and some really freakin' weird...). I had learned an awful lot, and I often found myself imparting knowledge to new arrivals, and doing my best to point out to other foreign guys, themselves frustrated with their dating lives in Japan, where they were going wrong. Let's make no bones about it - dating in Japan (being a foreigner) IS a mine-field at the best of times, and its navigation is greatly expediated knowing where the mines are. I had my own pool of mistakes to draw from, and I liked to think that I was able to help guys like myself get over some of these hurdles that seemed to crop up again and again. Other people seemed to think so too, and that's around about when I was approached with the idea of doing this book (I got the call the day before the JLPT in 2008, and let me tell you, it *really* threw my carefully-planned study-schedule out of whack!).

The plan was: Produce an 150-page ebook in 3 months. What started out as ostensibly a light, fun project, that might make a bit of money, would soon go on to consume all my free time. I have a real job too, so it was business as usual by day, and then burning the midnight oil, writing well into the night. 3 months became 6 months became 9 months. 150 pages swelled to over 400. The publisher (responsible for the marketing, sales, and distribution systems) and I were in a perpetual state of struggle. They wanted a simple, bullet-pointed "pick up" guide, on How To Get Girls. I was giving them a detailed in-depth anthropological study. They wanted to call it something really in-your-face and snappy, like "Get Japanese Girls, Now!" (oh god, you should have seen some of the prospective titles...). They wanted it *yesterday*. I refused to release anything until I could feel absolutely 100% sure it was good enough for people to pay money for.

The people who helped me write this book were other gaijin who had spent varying lengths of time in Japan, who supplemented my knowledge with the tales of their own mistakes they'd made when it came to pursuing relations with the fairer sex. You want to know who *else* helped me write this book...? (the answer's in the title!) ... Japanese girls! Yes. I sat down with a number of Japanese girls, told them exactly what the book was all about, and asked *them* what *they* wanted to teach the gaijin in Japan. I spoke to girls who had been completely turned off gaijin through bad experiences, and I listened while they helped me understand where it had all gone wrong. Sure, some of these lessons may be obvious to you and me, but respectfully, we're not the only two gaijin in Japan. I knew it couldn't be anything less - I had to write The Guide - and deliver a clear, authoritative message to all who would read it, as to what the world looks like through the eyes of the 21st century Japanese girl - and how we can interact with that world in a way that will foster a mutual happiness - with less of the awkwardness, and *gikushaku* communication that proves to be such a sticking point.

And then the acid test: I went through the book with a whole panel of Japanese girls, and got them to look over (and touch up) all the Japanese language content in there. Precisely *none* of them found it creepy or exploitative, and all of them were very positive about this kind of message connecting with foreigners in Japan.

That was the basis for this book. A fully realized volume of knowledge that I'd like to send back in time to the me of 3 years ago. There are no sinister manipulation tactics to push or badger girls into bed, no dumb pick-up lines, no lies to tell girls so they'll do things that they may later regret... No treatment of women as "targets". This book is about learning how not to *screw things up*. This book is about giving yourself the best chance to connect with a Japanese girl on a very real level. It's about learning to communicate better across cultural boundaries. And believe me when I tell you it's not just the guys who want this kind communication - it's the girls too.

The other fella who commented above said some kind things about the book, and I'm very grateful for that also. I'll even agree with him with what he says, in that this book is ideal for those new to Japan, and, if you've been here (in Japan) a while, then a lot of the lessons contained therein will feel familiar - though I maintain that even a seasoned gaijin is likely to learn a few things.

Dude - if you've read this far, then it means you find my detailed diatribes compelling enough to read all the way through! Which means you'd absolutely enjoy reading 400 pages of it. Q.E.D.! Seriously though, I do want to say that you're of course absolutely entitled to comment on the content of the book and whether you think it's a big scam or not, but let's at least make this fair. Let me send you a (free) copy - and that way at least we're on equal footing. Email me atsmash@smashasia.com or alternatively smash@japanese-girls-guide.com, and I'll sort you out with a sexy new PDF. You're right, you know - there are few things easier to provide than advice. It's getting *good*, relevant advice that's the clincher. Have I been able to do that in a 400+ page PDF? I'll leave that one in the eye of the beholder.

Happy New Year!

"poonany (I believe this is the word they would use)" - Also, I would never use this word (and it's spelled "punani". So I hear. From a friend.) - SMASH

Peter:First off, this post is a long time in coming. Over the holiday I had a baby which threw my attention away from the site for a while. The post from Z proves the book is real, so I owe the author an apology. I am really happy that no one has actually been ripped off.

Second, I would really like to thank the author for entering into an obviously hostile environment to stand up for his book. That takes some personal strength. Your response has come close to changing my opinion. I would like the book, but moreso than that, I would like to do an interview if you are up for it. Everyone at HN is really interested in what you have done and we have a lot of questions.

Obviously it would be better if we had read the book beforehand but I feel accepting it for free could create an unfair bias. I am happy to pay for the work you put into it. If you are okay with this we can work some details out over email.

Z:Just got back from a trip to China for winter break so I didn't check this earlier, and since I can't see post dates on the comments I don't know if either of you two still check it, but I'm glad to see that people from both sides commented :D @n8 - Yeah, I read some of the PUA material back at UCLA, and at least for me, it really opened my eyes. I didn't get sucked into it and become one of those robo-zombies, but it let me fine tune myself. I'm glad you also see what I see in it - the ability to improve yourself socially. Because really, your social skills are what comes down to attracting women. Not to toot my own horn but I'm 6'4" with blue eyes, broad shoulders, decent shape, and have had numerous women (back in Hollywood) hit on me. That was on the outside - yet on the inside I was a full-on Pokemon master, tournament-level SSBM player, and the biggest dork ever. I still have a lot to fix, such as speaking too fast and working on my approach, but I really contribute a lot of my success to the PUA self-help mentality. I agree that I did come off as praising the eBook, and I did so wazato - I support efforts to help guys meet girls, and I felt that the eBook, while not necessarily helpful to me, could be helpful to some other guys in a not-so-sleazy way. @SMASHER - Cool to see you commenting on this too, hope that an interesting interview comes out of this. I'm glad you agree with me on my perspective of the book (that it's more useful to Japan newbs than vets), and I agree that there are a few things that even people living in Japan could learn. Hopefully if you check back and read this post, maybe you can answer my question about the "higher-level techniques" - that is to say, if you have any method that works for striking up a conversation in a grocery store (or the such) that is able to get past a Japanese woman's default "strangers don't talk to strangers in public places in Japan" programming. That and other cultural differences in pickup that are important - for example, in my experience and after confirming it with many of my Japanese friends, kino is baaaaaad, they notice even a casual arm graze *right* away and it freaks them out. Things like that I find would be very useful.

Peter:We always check comments, newest ones get linked to on the frontpage, so if you comment on a really old post it gets some renewed attention..

I just completed my interview with SMASH, author of the guide, and will get to work putting it together to get it up on the site ASAP.

Thanks Z for taking the time to post and help out other readers, thanks SMASH for taking the time to talk to us.

Jon:Hi, so by the sounds of people on this site, this ebook actually does exist. It's because of this that I felt pretty un-sketched out when I actually ordered the book, but now, I've payed my 20 bucks or whatever, and strangely there's no book to be found. There's an information e-mail that you can try to use, but clearly nobody uses it or maintains it because it's been two days and I haven't heard anything back from anyone. After hearing the interview and reading this, I'm actually pretty curious about this book. Since it does seem to exist, does anyone have a real contact number, or email, or anything at all I could use to contact SMASH directly or anyone else who could help me get what I already payed for. He seems like a pretty cool guy, but I just wanna get it. Any info would be much appreciated.... hope this thread isn't too old. Thanks!

Jon:well, I guess looking like an idiot is what I get for not finishing the article before posting. Just to clarify, the info@japanese-girls-guide email has certainly been taking its sweet time to get back to me (again, I'm sure a simple and honest mistake) but I will try the direct email to SMASH and see what happens.

Jon:well..... The email given out by smash earlier in this article doesn't exist anymore, and the info email address seems to be long since deserted. So again, back to my original question. does anybody know how I can contact someone who can help me get the book I bought? a more updated email or phone number perhaps? Anyway, hope someone can help!

Peter:I saw your post today. I'll do my best to contact SMASH again and see if he can't work this out. He was honest and straightforward so I don't believe this is an intentional slight.

Jon :Thank you very much Peter, it really is very much appreciated. And I completely agree. especially after hearing your interview together, I have no doubt that he has only the best intentions for his book and the people buying it.

To Jon:Please send me an email to hikanninja at gmail dot com

tom:Just wanted to update this post that I ordered the book today 08/11/2010 via paypal and received an email with a link to download the book right away. I was a little concerned as their website does come across a little dodgy and many of the reviews on the web are out dated links but I'm pleased to say I did get my book. Having a quick skim through it there is a lot of content there and it does look like the author put some significant amount of time into the book. I realize this post might read like an ad but it's not, I'm a legit customer who is interested in the subject and pleased to see that the sale went through.

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