Oniroku Dan

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Dan (団) family name, Oniroku (鬼六) first name, (1931-2011)

Oniroku Dan

Oniroku Dan forged the cutting edge where the world of SM met the general public. Starting his writing career from a runner-up prize he earned in 1957, he quickly moved on to write for Kitan Club, Fuzoku Club, Uramado and Abu Hunter magazines. His stories were made into movies. He wrote screenplays for Pink Films and founded the production company "Oni Pro." In addition, he published many SM photo collections and founded the SM magazine "SM King." Dan's phenomenally successful story "Flower and Snake" was serialized and expanded into many volumes. It has been made into movies, comic books and adult anime. He wrote novels, essays, autobiographies, and pursued his interest in Shogi, even going so far as to take over the shogi magazine "Shogi Journal." His works remain popular today, and an appreciation of his work has spread around the world with the new "Flower and Snake" movies, "I am an SM Writer" and "Wife to be Sacrificed." And the short story collection "Season of Infidelity" has been published in English. He remained active in SM until his death in 2011.

Activities

Writer, Publisher

Alternate Names

団鬼六(Japanese), Yukihiko Kuroiwa (黒岩幸彦), Kyotaro Hanamaki (花巻京太郎), Matsujiro Kuroiwa (黒岩松次郎), Syugo Awaji (淡路周五)

Biography

Oniroku Dan has written many autobiographies and other works which amount to autobiographies. Much of Dan's life appears evident in his writings, and many accounts are related to different periods in his life. In regard to Oniroku Dan's personal history, Yoshio Osaki's biography "Demon of Forgiveness" (serialized in Shosetsu Shincho magazine from the September 2011 issue) is thought to be highly credible and grounded in careful investigation. Therefore, Osaki's biography takes precedence in cases where conflicting data exists.

Kansai Period

1931: Oniroku Dan was born on April 16th. His parents ran the "Kinjoukan," a movie house in Yonbanchou Dobashi in Hikone City, Shiga prefecture[※ 1]. His father, Nobuyuki Kuroiwa, had once aimed to be a screenwriter. His mother, Yukie Katori[1], was a former movie actress and a former student of the novelist Sanjugo Naoki. This was her second marriage. The family register records Oniroku as being born on September 1[※ 2].

1943: After handing over the movie house, Dan's family moved to Kanzakigawa in the Higashi Yodogawa Ward of Osaka, where Dan was enrolled in middle school at Kwansei Gakuin University[※ 1].

1947: Dan was admitted to high school at Kwansei Gakuin University.

1950: Dan Enrolled in the Kwansei Gakuin University Law School[※ 1].

Novelist Debut Period

1955: Dan moved to Tokyo soon after graduation[2] and lived in his sister Miyoko Kuroiwa's Hatagaya apartment[※ 3]. Miyoko Kuroiwa had moved to Tokyo in 1954 and debuted as a jazz singer after successfully auditioning for the Blue Coats[※ 3].

1955: Dan was hired as a key translator for the Tokyo Times movie magazine "Star Stories." One of his co-workers was Minobu Shiozawa[3][※ 4]. Resigned after four months and became a lighting technician at the Nichigeki Music Hall. Drifted from job to job[※ 5].

1956: Dan won an honorable mention for "Death in Naniwa," which he submitted under the name Matsujiro Kuroiwa in the All Rookie Cup sponsored by Bungeishunju's "Ooru Yomimono" Magazine.

1957: Awarded the runner-up prize for "Oyakodon," which he submitted under the name Matsujiro Kuroiwa in the 11th All Rookie Cup sponsored by Bungeishunju's "Ooru Yomimono" Magazine[4]. Met Noboru Kousai at this time.

1958: Dan submitted "Town's End" under the name of Kyotaro Hanamaki to a Kitan Club story competition. It was published in the July issue.

1958: Nov 10. Published "Wall of Destiny"[5] from Gogatsu Shobo[6] under the name Matsujiro Kuroiwa. Noboru Kousai held a publication party as the promoter.

1958: The second "Ōana" from Gogatsu Shobo was a huge hit. It earned 500,000 yen[※ 3]. Afterwards, Dan was flooded with writing commissions.

1959: May. Dan opened "Miyo(34)[7]," a bar located on the second floor of the Shinbashi Global Market[※ 1][※ 4].

1959-1962: Dan became friends with Shigeru Kayama[※ 6].

1960: Feb.[8] Published "Lynched Woman" in the first issue of Fuzoku Kenkyusha's Fuzoku Club under the name Kyotaro Hanamaki. He also published "Town Peril" under the same name in the December issue of Uramado.

1960: Apr. "Ōana" was made into a movie[9] by Matsutake.

1961: "Soft Skin Hell" was appeared on p.134 of the January issue of Kitan Club, and "For Beauty" in the February issue. "Literary Club Member Y - An Illustrated Story" appeared in the March issue of Uramado and "A Woman's Situation - Asakusa Elegy" appeared in the December issue. All were published under the name Kyotaro Hanamaki.

1961: Dan moved from Higashinakano to Hatagaya Sanchoume and brought his parents over from Kansai[※ 1].

1962: Dan got to know Toshiyuki Suma around this time[※ 5][10].

1962: The first three episodes of "Flower and Snake" were serialized in the August-September issue of Kitan Club under the name Kyotaro Hanamaki. Bar "Miyo (34)" closed.

English Teacher Period

1962: Sep. On Mieko Itakura's advice, Dan transfered to Misaki and became an English teacher at Misaki Middle School[11][※ 7].

1963: Feb 4. Dan married Mieko Itakura. The wedding ceremony was held at the Kainan Shrine[※ 7].

1963: Oniroku Dan visited Toshiyuki Suma.

1963: Spring. Minoru Yoshida visited Misaki and asked for a sequel to "Flower and Snake." Dan turned down the request[※ 7].

1963: Minoru Yoshida returned to Misaki, this time accompanied by Takashi Tsujimura. It was decided that Dan would continue to write "Flower and Snake."[※ 7]

1963: Dan resumed "Flower and Snake" in the July issue of Kitan Club under the name Oniroku Dan. He continued to work at the middle school while concealing his writing from his wife.[※ 7]

1963: Dan's first born son, Hideyuki Kuroiwa, was born in September.

1963: Matsujirou Kuroiwa's "Ginza Tako Room Story" appeared in Hyakumannin noyoru magazine in November.

1964: Part One of "Flower and Snake" was complete (Episode 15). It appeared in a special issue. Part Two started in the November issue.

Screenwriter Period

1965: In Spring, Dan traveled alone again to Tokyo to join "TV Broadcast[12]." He rented his own apartment around Hatagaya[※ 1].

1965: Dan made the acquaintance of Nobuo Yamabe and wrote the script for his first pink film[※ 5][13].

1965: Dan produced "Flower and Snake" with Nobuo Yamabe[14].

1966: "TV Broadcast" went bankrupt[※ 8], so Dan relocated himself and his family to Manazuru in Kanagawa prefecture. Requests for pink film screenplays came flooding in[※ 5].

1966: Nobuo Yamabe introduced Dan to Naomi Tani around this time[※ 5]. And Dan introduced Naomi Tani to Shigeru Kayama[※ 6].

1967: Dan's eldest daughter, Yukiko Kuroiwa, was born.[15]

1968: The movie "Flower and Snake Continued: Red Torture" is made by Yamabe Pro.[16]

1968: By this time, Dan was already writing scripts for pink performances.[※ 9]

1968: Through Dan's introduction, Takashi Tsujimura advised the bondage for Teruo Ishii's "History of Tokugawa Female Punishment" (Toei).

1968: "The Tale of Seiu Ito" was published in two parts in Kitan Club between December 1968 and January 1969.

Oni Pro Period

a photo of Oniroku Dan and Naomi Tani which apprears in "Deviant Pleasures."

1969: May. Rents an AG apartment in Sakuragaoka-cho Shibaya-ku in Tokyo (headquartered at Manazuru's home), and establishes Oni Pro. Hachiro Tako lived there.

1969: May. Oni Pro exibits "Life of A Woman's Wicked Lust."[17]

1969: "From the Editors" in the October issue of Kitan Club stated that his "home being built on one corner of the Miura Peninsula is now complete."

1969: On September 24th, Dan performs in "The World of Sadism" with Danshi Tatekawa on Kansai TV's "Night Show."[※ 10]

1969: The "Bondage Photos" series is published by Haga Shoten in October. Bondage by Shigeru Kayama.[18]

1969: Oni Pro's first work, "When Women Tease With Whips," is released in November.[19]

1970: Dan is covered as the "Person of the Week" for the July 31st issue of Weekly Post and introduces readers to Flower and Snake.

1970: In October, Dan provides advice for the first issue of Tokyo Sanseisha's SM Select magazine.

1971: Dan appears on Yukio Aoshima's "Noon Variety Show" on January 18th.[※ 11]

1971: Directed Million's "Flesh Hell" in January.

1971: In January, Dan begins serializing "Cryptogamia" in "People's Weekly" magazine.

1971: During the time Oni Pro was headquartered at the AG apartment, Norio Sugiura participated in Oni Pro through an introduction by Hachiro Tako. This led to Hachiro Tako's live pink shows.[※ 12]

1971: Publishes "Kinbaku Taizen" (The Complete Book of Kinbaku) through Haga Shoten. Photos by Kishin Shinoyama. Composition and illustration by Akira Uno. Bondage by Hiroshi Urado.

1971: Around this year, Oni Pro creates its fourth movie with director Sojiro Motoki.[※ 1]

1971: Dan moved to a new apartment in Shibuya Dogenzaka.

1971: Jul. Dan appears in Toei's "Onsen Mimizu Geisha." It was directed by Noribumi Suzuki[20].

1971: Rents a plush 7 room 990 square meter residence in Meguro-ku Meguro Sanchome (near Otori-jinja Shrine).

1971: "Flower and Snake Continued" comes to an end.

1972: Toei's "The Red Silk Gambler" (Directed by Teruo Ishii, original draft by Dan Oniroku) opens on November 21st.

1973: Oni Pro reaches eight employees.[※ 5][21]

SM Author Period

1974: Nikkatsu's "Flower and Snake" opens.[22]

1974: SM King ceases publication and Oni Pro breaks up.[※ 5]

1974: "Flower and Snake - The Final Volume" started serialization in Abu Hunter magazine. It ran for twelve episodes until 1975.

1976: Produced "Spring Night Woman's Picture Scroll" which Naomi Tani performed at the Nichigeki Music Hall from February 27th to April 20th.[※ 5][23]

1976: Tokyo Sanseisha establishes the Oniroku Dan Award.[24]

1977: Dan moves to Setagayaku Okusawa[※ 5]. He borrows a work space in Ookayama.

1979: Naomi Tani retires with "Rope and Skin."

1980: Dan purchases and moves to a textile mill in Yokohama's Sakuragichou where he exhibited SM implements.[※ 1]

1980: Dan releases the single "Akikaze." He also begins the serial story "Oniroku Aburandamu" in Sankei Sports.

1982: Oni Pro reunites.[※ 5]

1983: Dan and his first wife, Mieko, divorce. Oni Pro breaks up again.

1983: In July, Dan produces a two act six scene work, "Enka IN Eros - Woman to Woman," at the Nichigeki Music Hall.[25]

1984: Dan marries the enka singer Akiko Miyamoto[26] in June.

1984: Kadokawa Shoten publishes the first paperback edition of "Flower and Snake." There are eight volumes in total, with design by Tooru Kenjou.

1985: Dan published his first autobiography, "The Snake's Path" (Byakuya Shobo).

1986: Dan purchases a modest three-story inn in front of his own home in Sakuragichou for 90 million Yen. Renovation takes a year to complete.[※ 1][27]

1986: Dan's father, Nobuyuki Kuroiwa, passes away at the age of 74.[※ 13]

1987: Dan publishes "The Seiu Ito Story" through Kawade Bunko.

1987: Dan's second son is born.

Retirement

1989: Dan announces in SM Shosetsu magazine that he will stop writing. He limits himself to essays about shogi.

1989: Dan purchases the Japanese amateur shogi magazine "Shogi Journal."

1994: "Shogi Journal" folds with heavy debts.

Return to SM

1995: Jan. Dan launches the "Oniroku Group" as a sub group of the SM circle "AMS" managed by Takeshi Nagaike.[28]

1995: Dan resumes writing "Shinkenshi Koike Juumei."

1995: Dan moves into a rented house in Hamadayama, Tokyo.

1996: A biography of Seiu Ito, "Heretical Crowd," is published through Asahi Sonorama.

1997: Dan suffers a stroke and is hospitalized.

1999: Oct. "Kakoseki" is established with an eye to restarting Oni Pro.

1999: The CD, "Oniroku Dan Sings Taro Shoji," is released.

2002: "Oyou," a screen adaptation of the Seiu Ito biography "The Heretics," opens at Shochiku movie house. Directed by Ikuo Sekimoto. Starring Naoto Takenaka.

2002: Dan directs "Crimson Sisters." Based on the original work "Flesh Gamble."

2004: "Flower and Snake" is released by Toei (Directed by Takashi Ishii. Starring Aya Sugimoto. Bondage by Go Arisue).

2006: Dan refuses Dialysis. However, Doctors persuade Dan to accept it the following year.

2009: Sep. Shinchosa publishes a story about a young female kamikaze pilot titled, "Yukite Kaerazu."

2010: Dan publicly announces that he has esophageal cancer.[※ 14]

2010: The quarterly magazine "Etsu" establishes an "Oniroku Dan Prize." The first winner is Kannon Hanafusa for Hana-Matsuri.

2011: Apr. Dan writes in his blog about the March 11, 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, "Japanese people refuse to be disheartened. This is a splendid country."

2011: Dan passes away from esophageal cancer on May 6th.

2011: Dan's funeral is held on May 16th at the Zojoji temple in Tokyo. Eulogies are given by Toru Kenjo, Kunio Yonenaga (president of the Japan Shogi Association) and Naomi Tani.

2012: Grand Prize for the second "Oniroku Dan Prize" is awarded to Ayano Ukami for Snake Tongue. "Distinguished Work" is given to Yuji Sawasato's Infu Saiko.

Interesting Points

  • Dan was a member of the kendo department in high school. Learning Shitojutsu from his instructor influenced his later sword collecting.
  • He assisted Kiraihou, a sumo wrestler from Yokohama, up from third to fouth level higashi maegashira in 1992, and Dan hosted the first level entrance celebration in 1991.
  • Tadao Chigusa was a passionate "Flower and Snake" supporter, and he visited Dan in Misaki around the time Dan became an English teacher there. Afterward, he visited Misaki during every summer vacation and stayed at Dan's house just for that week[※ 15].
  • He often used the "Kiunkaku" in Atami for film shoots[※ 16].
  • Danshi Tatekawa of the Tatekawa Clan had the name Oniroku Tatekawa.

Selected Works

Flower and Snake

Summarized on the Flower and Snake page.

Autobiographies

Novels

Photo Collections

  • Bondage Photos (Haga Shoten, Oct. 1969) (Bondage by Shigeru Kayama)
  • Bondage Photos 2 (Haga Shoten, 1969)
  • Bondage Photos 3 (Haga Shoten, 1969)
  • Rose Mirror (Haga Shoten, 1969)
  • Bondage Photos 4 (Haga Shoten, 1970)
  • Bondage Photos - Extra Issue 1 (Tanbikan, 1970) (Photography: Eisaku Tozuka)
  • Bondage Photos - Extra Issue 2 (Tanbikan, 1970) (Photography: Eisaku Tozuka)
  • Bondage Photos - Extra Issue 3 (Tanbikan, 1970) (Photography: Eisaku Tozuka)
  • Bondage Photos - Extra Issue 4 (Tanbikan, 1970) (Photography: Eisaku Tozuka)
  • Hell Flower 1 (Edited by Oniroku Dan) (Tanbikan, 1970) (Photography: Genjirou Ogawa. Produced by Oni Pro. Models: Rumi Segawa, Fuyuko Kawamura, Yuki Seto, Youko Mita)
  • Hell Flower 2 (Edited by Oniroku Dan) (Tanbikan, 197?) (Photography: Shigeru Kayama. Produced by Oni Pro. Models: Nana Fujisawa, Eriko Shima, Satomi Oki, Keiko Fuchigami, Fusae Muranishi)
  • Hell Flower 3 (Edited by Oniroku Dan) (Tanbikan, 1971) (Photography: Eisaku Tozuka. Produced by Oni Pro)
  • Hell Flower 4 (Edited by Oniroku Dan) (Tanbikan, 1971) (Photography: Kyoutarou Kurohane. Produced by Oni Pro)
  • Hell Flower 5 (Edited by Oniroku Dan) (Tanbikan, 1971) (Photography: Eisaku Tozuka. Produced by Oni Pro)
  • Kinbaku Taizen (1971) Bondage by Hiroshi Urado
  • Beloved 1 (Edited by Oniroku Dan) (Tanbikan, 1972) (Photography: Shizuma Shirahama. Produced by Oni Pro)
  • Oniroku Photo Memo SM Aesthetic Literature Extra Issue 1 (Tanbikan, 1972)
  • Deviant Pleasures (Wani Magazine, Sep. 1996) (Publisher: Shouhei Hirada. Art Direction: Kazuhisa Takeda. A collection featuring; Photography: Shinji Yamasaki. Rope Artist: Denki Akechi, Takeshi Nagaike. Illustrators: Akira Kasuga, Kaname Ozuma, Namio Harukawa. Models: Minako Ogawa, etc.)

Research Biographies

Theater

Flower and Snake theatrical productions are summarized on the Flower and Snake page.

Notes

  1. Having divorced, she studied under Sanjuugo Naoki in 1927. Naoki was involved in movies at this time, and Katori played the starring role in "Nekkyuu Hatobu" (directed by Masao Hattori). She was also a contemporary of Sumiko Kurishima. Afterwards, Naoki sponsored the Yoshiko Okada Troupe. After the troupe disbanded, Katori became a leading actress for the Jusaburou Bandou Theatrical Company. After that company broke up, she married Kuroiwa, who was in the Matsutake script department.
  2. At the time he enrolled, Dan was already in Tokyo doing part-time lighting work at the Nichigeki Music Hall. He studied abroad for a year, and returned to Kansai to sit for an examination in order to have enough school units.
  3. Later acting as weekly popular editor-in-chief, he asked Dan to write "Cryptogamic Group."
  4. A story modeled on his father. A critique appeared by Ashihei Hino, Haruo Umezaki and Hiroshi Mamamoto.
  5. Contained in "Death in Naniwa," "Oyakodon," "Monster City," "Woman's Work" and "Wall of Destiny."
  6. Appeared as the "East-West Fine Arts Company" in "Snake's Path."
  7. Taken from his younger sister's name, Miyoko Kuroiwa.
  8. The exact issue date is unknown, but it was printed in 1959 and published in 1960.
  9. Original work by Matsujiro Kuroiwa. Directed by Seiichiro Uchikawa. Starring Naoki Sugiura, Mari Yoshimura, Achako Hanabishi, Nijiko Kiyokawa and Kyuu Sazanka.
  10. This needs to be confirmed since it has also been described as being around 1959.
  11. He was only qualified for teaching Chinese, but was put in charge of English due to a shortage of English teachers.
  12. The company name "TV Broadcast" is no mistake since it was confirmed by Nobuo Yamabe. In Oniroku Dan's essay, "S Planning" went under various aliases ("Snake's Path") etc. He was put in charge of "Hitchcock Theater," "Berkeley Ranch," "Ultra Private" and "Henpecked Paradise" (Nobuo Yamabe's "The Dark Days of Mr Dan.").
  13. Dan said, "Having met Mr. Yamabe, the erotic production company 'T' searched for a screenwriter, and Yamabe commissioned me. The script passed from Yamabe to 'T,' and 'T' contracted with Roppou Eiga to turn it into a movie." Afterward, Dan said he wrote monthly scripts for "T," and Keiko Niitaka, Takako Uchida and Yasuko Matsui appeared in dramas with his scripts.
  14. Yamabe Pro production. Distributed by Tokyo Planning. Details are in the 1965 version of "Flower and Snake."
  15. Yukiko Koinuma. Dan Oniroku's Office.
  16. Directed by Jiro Matsubara. Starring Naomi Tani and Hachiro Tako. Shigeru Kayama assisted with the bondage.
  17. Also described with "Nakagawa Pro." Distributed by Million Films. Directed by Ao Ise (Norio Nakagawa). Starring Koji Satomi, Yoshi Misa, Joji Nagaoka, Yuko Ejima, Kyozo Fuyuki, Kyoji Kokonoe, Koji Miemachi and Akemi Sono.
  18. "Bondage Photos 4" and "Bondage Photos - Extra Issue" 1-5 were in 1970. Extra Issue photography by Eisaku Tozuka.
  19. Originally titled "She-Devil."
  20. He appeared in others like Suzuki's "Onsen Suppon Geisha" (Toei 1972) and "Bungakusho Satsujin Jiken: Oinaru Joso" (Ajax 1989), Koyu Ohara's "Madam Momoko's Adventure" (Nikkatsu 1979), and Shigeru Izumiya and Sogo Ishi's "Zattsu Enkai Teiment" (1984).
  21. Hachiro Tako, Norio Sugiura, Kouzou Tashiro, Kenichi Nakahara, Reiko Yamane and others.
  22. Starring Naomi Tani. Directed by Masaru Konuma. Bondage supervised by Hiroshi Urado.
  23. Two 15 chapter parts in all, and the middle of Part One Scene Eight, "Yamatojiaika," was written and produced by Oniroku Dan. Scene Eight was performed by Naomi Tani, Mirai Akitsu, Yuria Natsu, Jun Ogawa and Hiroshi Tsurumi.
  24. The first winner of the Oniroku Dan Award was Kaoruko Himeno.
  25. According to Shigeru Kayama, Kayama did the actual production.
  26. She was born on January 12, 1945. She was Dan's personal secretary for a while before becoming a manager for TV Kanagawa.
  27. Dan built a thousand square meter beer garden on the roof. Total costs for the whole property run 500 million Yen.
  28. It was originally an independent group, but AMS managed it from 1995 (according to Dan's old website).
  29. Keibunsha paperback edition appeared in 1986.

References (※)

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Dan, Oniroku. The Snake's Path: an Autobiography. Tokyo: Gentosha, 1997. Print.
  2. Satou, Hitoshi. "Birth of the Author Oniroku Dan." Oniroku Dan - Literature of Love and Pleasure. Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2000. Print.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Yoshio Osaki. "Demon of Forgiveness: The Life of Oniroku Dan" Part Three. Shousetsu Shinchou Sep. 2011. Print.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Shiozawa, Minobu. "Oniroku Dan's 20's - The Wandering Days." The Flowers are Crimson: The World of Oniroku Dan. Tokyo: Gentosha, 1999. Print.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 Dan Oniroku Official Site. Web. 2010.
  6. 6.0 6.1 From "Shigeru Kayama's World" (Site inactive). Web.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Yoshio Osaki. "Demon of Forgiveness: The Life of Oniroku Dan" Part Four. Shosetsu Shincho Sep. 2011. Print.
  8. Yoshio Osaki. "Demon of Forgiveness: The Life of Oniroku Dan" Part Five. Shosetsu Shincho Nov. 2011. Print.
  9. Dan, Oniroku. "Oniroku's Discourses - Bar Stories." Kitan Club Jun. 1968. Print.
  10. Tsujimura, Takashi. "Salon Garakuki #63." Kitan Club Dec 1969: 234. Print.
  11. Tsujimura, Takashi. "Salon Garakuki #82." Kitan Club Apr. 1971: 234. Print.
  12. Sugiura, Norio. In a personal letter to "U," dated April 12, 2010.
  13. Yoshio Osaki. "Demon of Forgiveness: The Life of Oniroku Dan" Part Nine. Shousetsu Shinchou Mar. 2012. Print.
  14. Dan, Oniroku. "Remaining Journal - Spring: I Have Cancer." Shosetsu Shincho May 2010: Web.
  15. Mishimura, Kyotaro, and Oniroku Dan. "Declatation of Action for the Showa Hitoketa Generation." The Flowers are Crimson: The World of Oniroku Dan. Tokyo: Gentosha, 1999. pp42-52. Print.
  16. Horie, Tamaki. "The Aesthetic World of Oniroku Dan." Oniroku Dan: Literature of Love and Pleasure. Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2000. Print.

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