Tokyo Kintsugi Workshop: Simple Gold Repair Class near Shin Koenji
Overall Rating
5.00
A delightful and novel experience
Reviewed by: Carolyn Dodd, 2024/02/13We were given this Kintsugi Tryout class by our children as a Xmas present. And what a delightful and fun experience it was!
The tiny workshop, filled with examples of kintsugi to provide inspiration, was only just big enough for us both, two other more experienced Japanese students, and our two wonderful teachers Mr and Mrs Kuge. The latter is a force of nature who provided home made lemon cake, endless tea, written and spoken stories about kintsugi in English, and a shopping list to encourage us to pursue our new hobby. The combination with Mr Kuge's quiet expertise provided an atmosphere where we felt free to relax and be creative. We loved every minute of our class and can't wait to see what our tea cups look like after their 2 weeks drying out period.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2024/02/11 |
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Excellent workshop and experience!
Reviewed by: Tina , 2024/01/25Kuge Craft provided a detail direction to their workshop, about 8 mins walk from their workshop. It is a cosy place with plenty of artworks and books references.
The experience is amazing. We were greeted by a lovely snack (delicious homemade cake, crackers and earl grey) with English notes and material list for kintsugi. They break it down step by step making it very easy to follow. Along the way, they would also provide extra information before we even know what questions to ask.
They are such a lovely couple, we hope to get to join their workshop again when we are in Tokyo!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2024/01/08 |
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Very Memorable Experience
Reviewed by: Desiree , 2023/11/19My husband and I had such a lovely time during this Kintsugi Workshop. It was our first time in Japan and Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko made us feel so welcome. They are true masters at this craft and it was an honor to learn from them. I am grateful for the knowledge and time they shared with us. It was an experience we will always treasure. The studio was very easy to find and comfortable to be in. The instructions they provide are very thorough and they offer assistance throughout. We highly recommend this!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/10/29 |
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A look at an ancient art
Reviewed by: Pamela Levene, 2023/10/09Our host and hostess were a delightful couple: one the artisan, one his lovely wife who communicated with us.
I had read quite a lot about kintsugi but there is always something new to learn!
I was made to feel very welcome, and it was a fascinating experience.
I would highly recommend this class.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2023/10/07 |
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20/10 would recommend!
Reviewed by: Joshua, 2023/09/17The directions to the workshop are clear. Yoshiichiro-san and Yoshiro-san are the sweetest couple ever. I thoroughly enjoyed the step-by-step one day workshop. It was informative, easy to follow and it captured the essence of the concept and art of Kintsugi.
I think that Kintsugi really is a beautiful way of thinking and how we can live by embracing imperfections.
I would say though, that the class also depends on the group you attend with. I had really fun workshop mates, which made it even more enjoyable.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2023/09/16 |
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Incredible Experience! Heart warming, fun, and authentic!
Reviewed by: Cilla, 2023/09/07Upon arrival at KUGE crafts we were met by both Yoshiko Kuge and her husband, who were both extremely kind and welcoming. We sat at a shared table and was given a sweet cake, crackers and endless cups of sweet lemon tea. Yoshiko gave us a brief history of Kintsugi and the types of repairs from chips to replacing missing pieces. She shared her experience in how long she has been doing this for and referenced to us many examples of works done within the space. We then got to pick our own antique Japanese cups that were chipped and got to work being guided and directed by Yoshiko and her husband. Both let us do our work and did not simply do it for us, they also took many photos with us, gave us detailed instructions on how to do each step (with print out info in English) and asked us questions about our lives and transformed the experience into something not only creative, but meditative and peaceful. Our finished products were lovingly wrapped and secured in special travel protective containers and we left with our information packs, extra snacks, and instructions on where to buy materials needed for Kintsugi. A beautiful time - very grateful to have spent the time with two people with so much history and experience with this art!
If you are wanting to experience true Japanese culture and bring home something personalised and meaningful, this is your chance.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2023/09/02 |
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Two architects and a college student walk into a kintsugi shop…
Reviewed by: Colin Alley, 2023/09/03Our family of three thoroughly enjoyed our two plus hours at Kuge Crafts, working with Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro, and opening ourselves up to the world of Wabi-Sabi - embracing the beauty in imperfection. We highly recommend this experience, and look forward to bringing the skills learned to repairs at home!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/09/02 |
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Wonderful experience
Reviewed by: Liz, 2023/08/23This is a lovely way to spend half a day in Tokyo. We were a small group of three and two of us chose beautiful small Edo period bowls to work (supplied in the workshop) and one person in the group brought her own bowl to repair. The tutors are very kind and welcoming and provided support and encouragement in English. They are expert potters and extremely skilled at Kintsugi and it was a delight to spend the time with them. The session was well structured and organised and I learned a lot, and there was sufficient time to complete my kintsugi at a leisurely pace. I was so pleased with my beautiful bowl which was expertly packed up at the end of the session by the tutors to go into my case safely on the way home. Allow 20/25 mins to walk to the workshop from the nearest metro station or take a taxi.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/07/23 |
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Una experiencia única
Reviewed by: Mónica, 2023/08/22Asistí a este taller con una amiga y las dos salimos encantadas. Cuando llegamos, los dueños del taller nos recibieron con una sonrisa y nos ayudaron a sentirnos cómodas. Fue muy agradable charlar con ellos a lo largo del proceso y nos sacaron fotos para que tengamos un buen recuerdo. Nos ayudaron a adentrarnos en el fascinante mundo del kintsugi y nos aconsejaron qué materiales comprar para poder continuar practicando por nuestra cuenta en el futuro. Ojalá pueda vivir algún día en Japón para asistir a este taller con regularidad. Los dulces y el té estaban deliciosos. Muchas gracias por darnos la oportunidad de llevarnos a casa una taza reparada con nuestras propias manos. La conservaré con cariño.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2023/08/16 |
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A therapeutic and interesting way to learn about Japanese culture
Reviewed by: Ryan , 2023/07/14While the shop is a little out of the way (about a 15 minute walk from the nearest train station), it's 100% worth it. The people working and hosting you treat you like family and teach you about Kintsugi in an easy to understand way. And yes at least one of them knows English so that's not an issue. The shop is small but homey and the activity itself is very calming. Coming from someone who is not only bad at art but actively dislikes it, I plan to do this again when I come back to Japan. It will take anywhere from 2-3 hours total so keep that in mind. If you are on the fence about this, please do it. The people are lovely and you get to create and keep a unique souvenir all while learning a little bit about the Japanese culture, well worth it.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2023/07/13 |
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A wonderful afternoon
Reviewed by: Thomas, 2023/04/26An incredibly calming and enlightening activity! Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro are such kind and informative teachers who offer history and culture lessons whilst teaching the ancient art of kintsugi. The entire session was built around the interests of the participants and so much information was given for us to continue the craft at home. Yoshika also kindly gave a mini tour of the workshop and showed ceramics which had been featured on an international TV documentary. I will 100% return. Thank you, Kuge Crafts!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2023/04/05 |
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Unbelievably amazing experience!
Reviewed by: Riccardo, 2023/01/29Really recommended experience for anyone looking to take a deep breath in the traditional Japanese arts! Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro are very kind and welcoming, and work hard to make you feel comfortable. They're also incredibly talented at kintsugi, and are excellent at showing beginners how to get started.
The tea and sweets make you feel like at your (japanese) home!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2023/01/26 |
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An unforgettable experience
Reviewed by: Robin Curran, 2022/08/07Do not miss this amazing experience. Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko take you on a memorable journey into an ancient art form and offer a glimpse into the Japanese culture that most tourists miss entirely. I had seen an article on Kintsugi long ago and the whole philosophy behind it fascinated me so I sought this out when I came to Japan to visit my son. Choosing the right person to instruct you is critical, and this lovely couple could not have been more welcoming. I was greeted with smiles, delicious tea and homemade Japanese sweets and felt right at home. Their method of instruction, with a nice balance between verbal and written instruction in English and hands on demonstration was perfect. And I was given the piece of pottery I repaired, lovingly packaged for the trip home. I am confident I could not have chosen a better option for this activity elsewhere. I plan to continue my Kintsugi learning journey; In fact, I went out the next day and purchased the supplies with the help of Yoshiko and I am excited to begin my first project after arriving home.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/06 |
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Authentic Japanese craft experience
Reviewed by: MMm, 2020/03/16The hosts were so welcoming and English was no problem. I learnt their craft from true artists who genuinely want to share this skill with others. The studio was great, the snack delicious and the whole experience truly memorable. I left with my own piece of Kintsugi and Japan’s culture.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2020/03/14 |
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Wonderful Experience
Reviewed by: Monika, 2020/02/16The hosts did not only share there great skills of Kintsugi with us, also the friendly atmosphere was overwhelming! They gave us a nice welcome with homemade desert and delicious apple tea. We could choose a piece of damaged ceramics and then practice step by step. The hosts also gave us many useful tips and informations in very good Englisch, a hand-out and - very important: a Shopping-List. And at last they even sent us nice Fotos they had taken during the workshop.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2020/02/12 |
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Amazing
Reviewed by: Ireland , 2020/01/13Was such a lovely experience with amazing little touches from the hosts including delicious homemade apple tea ! The hosts were very friendly and had great English and were very exited to teach us the tradition of their culture ! Everything is done with care and to perfection ! Even the way they wrap up your piece and pop it in a bag is done so thoughtfully ! Would highly recommend this experience if your in Tokyo. It’s also a great way to meet and chat to some locals
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/09 |
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Amazing experience
Reviewed by: Athena, 2019/12/20Me and my girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. The hosts were amazing people, super helpful and so welcoming and treated us like friends! We learned so much and came out feeling proud. All our questions answered and the couple is eager to help and make you feel accomplished! Highly recommended.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/06 |
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Kintsugi course
Reviewed by: Mahazosoa , 2019/12/14I really enjoyed this two hours and a half of Kintsugi. we got a lot of information on the techniques and on Japanese culture as well. It was organised in order that that we can continue on our own. The materials were well listed and described and I found them easily in Tokyu hands. many many thanks
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/11/20 |
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kintsugi workshop
Reviewed by: stevie, 2019/12/11The walk from train station to the workshop was delightful in the morning of a day in November. Extremely well structured and presented content. Delicious homemade tea and snacks. Concisely explained and taught skills fundamentally required for us as beginners who might very well be engaging ourselves with the art in the future. It amends not only ceramics but many other things that might have been put away for unspoken reasons for ages. Kintsugi from now on is more than just a new skill to me. It's going to be a way of life.
Yoshi and Yoshiko, thank you!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2019/11/10 |
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Such a wonderful experience!
Reviewed by: Christine , 2019/09/08This was such a fun, interesting and enjoyable experience! Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko were so kind, knowledgeable, helpful. They were very patient as they tried to bridge the language barrier while giving instructions. They had several “cheat sheets” in English to help me understand.
They also were quite hospitable, providing snacks and even taking my photo several times during the repair process. Yoshiko also kindly showed me her ceramics studio, as I had made the piece that I used.
The entire process was easy enough, but patience and care are necessary. They gave me a list of supplies to purchase (and the address of a store so that I could bring those home with me.
Overall, I would highly recommend this experience. It’s a great introduction into the beautiful art of Japanese kintsugi! As an aside, I had mentioned to some of the staff at our hotel that I was taking this class and they scoured the hotel to find some old examples that they had in their possession. When I returned with my piece, the staff were impressed and asked for the contact info so they could recommend the Kuge’s to other hotel guests.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/16 |
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A lovely way to learn a peaceful art form!
Reviewed by: Lawrence, 2019/08/23I had such a good time learning kintsugi, I went straight from their workshop to a craft store (with their extremely helpful bilingual shopping list!) to be able to do it more at home. The Kuge-sans were so welcoming and kind. I brought a small bowl that I had recently broken, and they helped me magically put it back together. They also had beautiful tea cups available to repair.The Kuge-sans do a wonderful job of communicating the joy of kintsugi even without too much English. They were prepared with photos and examples to make every step clear. Overall, the experience was peaceful and satisfying, and definitely a lovely way to rest from the hurry and stress of international travel.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/21 |
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Such a nice couple
Reviewed by: Tiffany , 2019/08/20Arrived 20 min late because we were an hour away and got a little lost, but they didn’t mind.
The workshop is led by an elderly couple who have been doing kintsugi for many years. They were even featured in a few books and magazines!
When we arrived, there was mango Mille crepe cake and apple tea, which were both SO GOOD. It’s summer when we went, so the snack and drink were both so refreshing.
We picked our cups and got right to work. They walked us through the process step by step and gave us a list of the steps and materials to buy at the store if we wanted to do kintsugi on our own at home.
We got to see some of the kintsugi works they fixed, and some were so intricately re-pieced, it blew our minds.
Overall, I had so much fun. The couple is super sweet and take pics of you on their iPad as you’re working and email them to you, since your hands are full.
The next time I go back to japan, I will take their class again, without a doubt. I really do recommend taking this class because it’s such a unique experience that I’ll always remember, along with having a completely uniquely fixed cup .
The picture I attached from the book is the picture of the couple.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/14 |
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Delightful
Reviewed by: Anita, 2019/08/13I had a delightful time at this class. Every effort was made to make it a special experience. I cannot wait to reveal my work in two weeks time.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/11 |
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Absolutely lovely in every way!
Reviewed by: Olivia, 2019/07/27I would 100% do this activity again as well as any others run by Kuge Crafts. Despite being early I was welcomed in with homemade sweets and tea. I've only booked the session for myself despite travelling with my friend, she said she'd be happy walking around the local area for the 2 hours or so while I was in there, but upon seeing her they welcomed her to stay and offered her the same food and drink with the most wonderfully giving attitudes, genuinely the height of Japanese hospitality.
The method of kinstugi, the pattern on my bowl, and the making of the brushes, epoxies involved were all explained in detail, and as we waited for the putty on my bowl to set, Yoshiko showed my friend and I her other workshop and the pieces of artwork she was most proud of.
Both Yoshiko and Yoshiichiro spoke enough English to have a nice conversation. You really are getting and entire experience as well as just learning a traditional craft. Can't recommend this enough.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2019/07/19 |
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Lovely experience!
Reviewed by: Vikki, 2019/07/26This was a wonderful afternoon. Our hosts were very kind and patient teachers. The homemade apple tea was lovely. Loved that we could take home a project. One misunderstanding however: A couple of us brought pieces to work on but they were not appropriate as they were not chipped or cracked. There is not enough time to break and glue a piece during the class. There were a variety of chipped and cracked, (antique!) vessels that we could choose from. During down time, our host showed us pieces she had completed to demonstrate the possibilities for future projects. Loved that she gave us a list of supplies and where to buy them, in Tokyo, if we want to continue. Great event.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2019/07/24 |
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Kintsugi is so much fun!!
Reviewed by: Bre Little, 2019/07/13The Kintsugi class was everything I had hoped for and more. Yoshiichiro and Yoshiko are probably the sweetest people you will ever meet. When I arrived, they had a delicious snack that Yoshiko had prepared and served me some tea. After a bit of conversation, we started the workshop. They were thorough with the instructions, gave me time to write notes and assisted when necessary. They gave me a tour of the pottery studio next door while I was waiting for my piece to dry. When I finished the workshop they gave me a list of supplies for doing Kintsugi at home and encouraged me to message them if I had any questions. I went to Tokyu Hands the next day, gave them the list and purchased all the supplies needed. I would recommend this workshop to anyone going to Tokyo. I didn't take many pictures because I was charging my phone during the workshop. I will try to upload the finished product after the 2 weeks required for my piece to set. They packaged up my cup nicely for me to travel home with.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/07/10 |
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The couple is so sweet, and they are very knowledgeable!
Reviewed by: Courtney , 2019/06/21Cannot recommend this experience enough. Not only were we served delicious tea and cake handmade by Mrs. Kuge, she and her husband were very diligent with their teaching and even showed us where to buy everything we needed to make our own lacquerware at home. Definitely bringing visiting friends and family here again in the future. A little Japanese will go a long way, but not necessary. Mrs. Kuge speaks English well, and her husband is so sweet it doesn’t matter :)
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2019/06/20 |
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Fun day with talented craftsmen
Reviewed by: Alan, 2019/05/26Really enjoyed spending time at kuge! I learned to repair ceramics and create art with a technique called kintsugi. They were very welcoming and exemplified Japanese hospitality. Highlight of my time in japan. Inspired to practice what I have learned!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/05/26 |
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Absolutely wonderful experience!
Reviewed by: Andrew & Piper, 2019/04/16Having spent nearly two weeks in Japan doing various activities, I can say without hyperbole that this was the highlight of our trip. It was an intimate experience where we learned what is both a practical and artistic pursuit. The couple that runs Kuge Crafts are incredible sweet and patient, and they made sure that we had an excellent experience. They answered all of our many questions, and showed us examples of what could be done with kintsugi (they really are masters). They'll even take pictures of you working.
What's best is that they give you a complete shopping list for the exact items you need at the local craft store in order to do this back home. (Just make sure you go to the exact one they mention in Shinjuku; others won't have the correct materials.)
While the store is a little bit out of the way, it is *absolutely* worth doing!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/04/11 |
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Wonderful experience
Reviewed by: Mary, 2019/03/12This was a thoughtful and well planned guide to kintsugi. From a delicious treat to begin, to the history of the patterns of our chosen cups, to a guided experience of kintsugi. We took home our repaired cups and look forward to them being a beautiful reminder of Japan!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2019/03/10 |
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