List of governors of Japan - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This is a list of current governors

Governor (Japan)

In Japan, the is the highest ranking executive of a prefecture.The governor is directly elected for a four-year term. Governors are subject to recall referenda. In case of death, disability, or resignation, the vice governor becomes either governor or acting governor....

of the prefectures of Japan

Prefectures of Japan

The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...

Current Governor	Prefecture	Took office	Office expires
Hideaki Omura Hideaki Omura is a Japanese politician, the governor of Aichi Prefecture. He was a former member of the Liberal Democratic Party, also a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Hekinan, Aichi and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and...	Aichi Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...	February 15, 2011	February 14, 2015
Norihisa Satake Norihisa Satake is a Japanese politician. A former two-term mayor of Akita City in Akita Prefecture, first elected in 2001, he is currently the Governor of Akita Prefecture after winning election on April 12, 2009...	Akita Akita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....	April 20, 2009	April 19, 2013
Shingo Mimura Shingo Mimura is the governor of Aomori Prefecture in Japan. A native of Momoishi, Aomori and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected to the post in 2003 after serving as mayor of Momoishi for one term since 1987 and then in the House of Representatives in Diet since 2000.- External links :* in...	Aomori Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....	June 29, 2003	June 28, 2011
Kensaku Morita Kensaku Morita is a Japanese actor, singer and governor of Chiba Prefecture in Japan.- External links :...	Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...	April 5, 2009	April 4, 2013
Tokihiro Nakamura	Ehime Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...	December 1, 2010	November 30, 2014
Issei Nishikawa Issei Nishikawa is the governor of Fukui Prefecture in Japan. He was elected first in 2003. A native of Asahi, Fukui and graduate of Kyoto University, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1968.- External links :*...	Fukui Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...	April 23, 2003	April 22, 2011
Wataru Asō Wataru Aso is the former governor of Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1995. From 2005-11 he was also President of the . A native of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka and graduate of Kyoto University, he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1963. He retired on the 22nd April 2011, and...	Fukuoka Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....	April 23, 1995	April 22, 2011
Yūhei Satō Yuhei Sato is the governor of Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. He was first elected in November 2006, after the previous governor, Eisaku Satō, was forced to step down after 'politically motivated' bribery charges - References :...	Fukushima Fukushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....	November 12, 2006	November 11, 2010
Hajime Furuta Hajime Furuta is the governor of Gifu Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2005 and reelected in 2009. A native of Gifu, Gifu, he was chosen as the final torchbearer for the National Sports Festival when it was held in Gifu while he was a senior at Gifu Prefectural Senior High School...	Gifu Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...	February 6, 2005	February 5, 2013
Masaaki Ōsawa Masaaki Osawa is the governor of Gunma Prefecture in Japan. He was first elected in 2007 after serving in the assembly of Gunma Prefecture.-External links:...	Gunma Gunma Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...	July 28, 2007	July 27, 2011
Hidehiko Yuzaki Hidehiko Yuzaki is the current governor of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. He was elected on November 8, 2009 on behalf of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. Prior to that, served in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Yuzaki earned his M.B.A. from Stanford University in 1995.As governor of...	Hiroshima Hiroshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...	November 29, 2009	November 28, 2013
Harumi Takahashi Harumi Takahashi is the present governor of the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaidō. She graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1976. She started her career as a bureaucrat in Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and quit in 2003....	Hokkaidō Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...	April 23, 2003	April 22, 2011
Toshizō Ido Toshizo Ido is the governor of Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2001. A native of Hyōgo Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1968. -2009 election:Gov. Toshizo Ido was re-elected in 2009 to a third term...	Hyogō Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...	August 1, 2001	July 31, 2013
Masaru Hashimoto Masaru Hashimoto is the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1993. A native of Ibaraki Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1969.- External links :*...	Ibaraki Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...	September 26, 1993	September 25, 2013
Masanori Tanimoto Masanori Tanimoto is the governor of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2002.- References :...	Ishikawa Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...	March 29, 1994	March 28, 2014
Takuya Tasso Takuya Tasso is the governor of Iwate Prefecture. A native of Morioka, Iwate and graduate of the University of Tokyo. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988, receiving a master's degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University in the United States while with the ministry...	Iwate Iwate Prefecture is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...	April 30, 2007	April 29, 2011
Keizo Hamada	Kagawa Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...	September 5, 2010	September 4, 2014
Yūichirō Itō Yuichiro Ito is the governor of Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Izumi, Kagoshima and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1972 before elected governor.- References :...	Kagoshima Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...	July 28, 2004	July 27, 2012
Shigefumi Matsuzawa Shigefumi Matsuzawa is the governor of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. A native of Kawasaki, Kanagawa and graduate of Keio University, he had served in the assembly of Kanagawa Prefecture for two terms since 1987 and in the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan for three terms since 1993. He was first elected...	Kanagawa Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...	April 23, 2003	April 22, 2011
Masanao Ozaki Masanao Ozaki became governor of Kōchi Prefecture in Japan on December 7, 2007. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo and former bureaucrat of the Ministry of Finance.- External links :*...	Kōchi Kochi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...	December 7, 2007	December 6, 2011
Ikuo Kabashima Ikuo Kabashima is the current governor of Kumamoto Prefecture. He has been governor since 2008.Ikuo Kabashima received a bachelor's and master's degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska. He received a Ph.D...	Kumamoto Kumamoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.- History :Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system...	April 16, 2008	April 15, 2012
Keiji Yamada Keiji Yamada is the governor of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. A native of Hyōgo Prefecture and 1977 graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1977 and served as the vice governor of Kyoto Prefecture before elected governor for the first time in 2002...	Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....	April 16, 2002	April 15, 2010
Akihiko Noro Akihiko Noro is the governor of Mie Prefecture in Japan. A native of Iitaka, Mie, he attended Keio University for undergraduate study and received a master's degree from it. Before elected governor, he had served in the House of Representatives in the Diet for four terms since 1983 and as mayor of Matsusaka,...	Mie Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....	April 21, 2003	April 20, 2011
Yoshihiro Murai Yoshihiro Murai is the governor of Miyagi Prefecture. A native of Toyonaka, Osaka and former serviceman of Japan Self-Defense Forces, he was first elected governor in 2005 after serving in the assembly of the prefecture since 1995.- References :...	Miyagi Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...	November 21, 2005	November 20, 2013
Shunji Kono	Miyazaki Miyazaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki.- History :Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture....	January 21, 2011	January 20, 2015
Shuichi Abe	Nagano Nagano Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...	September 1, 2010	August 31, 2014
Hōdō Nakamura	Nagasaki Nagasaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...	March 2, 2010	March 1, 2014
Shōgo Arai Shogo Arai is the governor of Nara Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Transport, attending Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs as a ministry official...	Nara Nara Prefecture is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....	May 3, 2007	May 2, 2011
Hirohiko Izumida Hirohiko Izumida is the governor of Niigata Prefecture since October 25, 2004.- Personal history :* September 15, 1962: Born in Kamo in Niigata Prefecture.* 1981: Graduated from Sanjo High School.* 1987: Graduated from Kyoto University Law Department....	Niigata Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...	October 25, 2004	October 24, 2012
Katsusada Hirose Katsusada Hirose is the governor of Ōita Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Hita, Ōita and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry since 1966 before elected governor.- External links :*...	Ōita Oita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...	April 28, 2003	April 27, 2011
Masahiro Ishii Masahiro Ishii is the governor of Okayama Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1996. A native of Okayama, Okayama and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Construction since 1969 before elected governor.- References :...	Okayama Okayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...	November 12, 1996	November 11, 2012
Hirokazu Nakaima Hirokazu Nakaima is a Japanese bureaucrat, a business leader, and a politician. He was elected governor of Okinawa Prefecture in 2006.- History :Nakaima was born on August 19, 1939 in Higashinari Ward of Osaka. In 1945 during World War II, his family escaped from the air raids in Osaka and evacuated to Meiji,...	Okinawa Okinawa Prefecture is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...	December 10, 2006	December 9, 2010
Tōru Hashimoto Toru Hashimoto is a Japanese lawyer and commentator on legal matters. He was the 52nd Governor of Osaka Prefecture and is the president of the Osaka Restoration Association...	Osaka Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...	February 6, 2008	February 5, 2012
Yasushi Furukawa Yasushi Furukawa is the governor of Saga Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Karatsu, Saga, he graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1982 and entered the Ministry of Home Affairs upon graduation.- External links :*...	Saga Saga Prefecture is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...	April 23, 2003	April 22, 2011
Kiyoshi Ueda Kiyoshi Ueda is the governor of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Fukuoka, Fukuoka and graduate of Hosei University, he had served in the House of Representatives since 1993 before elected governor.- External links :*...	Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...	August 31, 2003	August 30, 2011
Yukiko Kada Yukiko Kada is the governor of Shiga Prefecture. She is the first female governor of Shiga and the fifth female governor in Japanese history. She was first elected in 2006 defeating incumbent governor Yoshitsugu Kunimatsu. Prior to being elected governor she was a professor of environmental sociology at Kyoto...	Shiga Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...	July 19, 2006	July 18, 2014
Zenbee Mizoguchi	Shimane Shimane Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...	April 30, 2007	April 29, 2011
Heita Kawakatsu Heita Kawakatsu is the current governor of Shizuoka Prefecture. Born in 1948, he has been governor since 2009.-References:...	Shizuoka Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...	July 5, 2009	July 4, 2013
Tomikazu Fukuda Tomikazu Fukuda is the governor of Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Imaichi, Tochigi and graduate of Nihon University, he had served in the city assembly of Utsunomiya, Tochigi since 1983 and then in the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly since 1991. He also served as mayor of Utsunomiya...	Tochigi Tochigi Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...	December 9, 2004	December 8, 2012
Kamon Iizumi Kamon Iizumi is the governor of Tokushima Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. A native of Osaka Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1984 before elected 'Governor of Tokushima Prefecture' in late 2003....	Tokushima Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...	May 18, 2003	May 17, 2011
Shintaro Ishihara Shintaro Ishihara is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...	Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...	April 23, 1999	April 22, 2011
Shinji Hirai Shinji Hirai is the governor of Tottori Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1984 and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs upon graduation.- External links :*...	Tottori Tottori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...	April 13, 2007	April 12, 2011
Takakazu Ishii Takakazu Ishii is the governor of Toyama Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Toyama, Toyama and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1969 before elected governor.- References :...	Toyama Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....	November 9, 2004	November 8, 2012
Yoshinobu Nisaka Yoshinobu Nisaka is the governor of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2006.- Education :Mr. Nisaka graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Tokyo in 1974 and entered MITI that same year.- References :...	Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...	December 17, 2006	December 16, 2010
Mieko Yoshimura Mieko Yoshimura is governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She was elected on January 25, 2009. She defeated the sitting governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Hiroshi Saitō in an upset. A native of Ōe, Yamagata, she worked at a help-wanted advertising company before becoming a notary public for the city government of...	Yamagata Yamagata Prefecture -Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...	February 14, 2009	February 13, 2013
Sekinari Nii Sekinari Nii is the governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1996. A native of Mine, Yamaguchi and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1966.- External links :*...	Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...	August 22, 1996	August 21, 2012
Shōmei Yokouchi Shomei Yokouchi is the governor of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. He is a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet .- References :...	Yamanashi Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...	February 17, 2007	February 16, 2011

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