エッセイ

Notes:
in a row 連続で;
traffic jam 交通渋滞;
back up 《主に米国で用いられる》〈交通などを〉渋滞させる;

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Golden Week started on April 29, and some people had as many as 10 days off in a row this year. The weather was perfect for travelling. Unfortunately, the road traffic can be terrible because everyone was travelling. In fact, the worst traffic jam I’ve ever been in was at Golden Week. The longest traffic jam in Japanese history, however, was on December 27, 1995. The Meishin Expressway was backed up for 154 kilometers from the eastern side of Lake Biwa to Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture. It took 23 hours to clear! I hope that didn’t happen this year.（by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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Notes:
incredible: 信じられない;

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When you live in Japan for a long time, you sometimes forget that life is different here. This is what someone wrote on Facebook. “Japan is one of the most incredible countries in the world!! I want to share what happened. My friend lost her wallet and we looked for it at all the places we had gone through, but we couldn’t find it. We went to a police station as the last hope…and someone had picked it up on the street and had taken the wallet to the police!! Of course the money and cards were NOT taken out or used!” (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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