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Tanegashima (種子島) is an
island lying to the south of
Kyushu, south
Japan.
It is a long low stretch of land, carefully cultivated, and celebrated
as the place where
Mendez Pinto landed when he found his way to Japan in
1543. Until modern times
firearms were colloquially known in Japan as " Tanega-shima," in
allusion to the fact that they were introduced by Pinto.
The headquarters of
NASDA (National Space Development Agency), the
spaceport
Tanegashima Space Center is located at the southeastern end of the
island.
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