Shoe Spotting in Japan

Dave has been on exchange in Japan since the end of March.  He hasn't had many opportunities to email, but has found the time to share some photos of his journey. 

As you may know, Aurora Shoes have become very popular in Japan.  We all wondered if he'd spot many while there.  If these photos are any indication, they're not very hard to find.  

It's customary to remove one's shoes before entering a temple or a home in Japan.  Lucky for Dave, this eliminates the need for awkward translations such as, "Would it be OK to photograph your feet?"

We're guessing this is Dave's own foot with the Hello Kitty sidewalk tile.

An All American Send Off

Dave departed for his month long trip to Japan on Saturday afternoon and arrived safely in Osaka this morning.  In true Binns family fashion, he was treated to a Friday night farewell dinner of pizza and wings.

We hear he was greeted in Osaka with sushi.

 images via Inventor Spot

I bet it wasn't Obama face sushi.  Now THAT would have been a warm (and totally hysterical) welcome!

Click on Journey to Japan in the sidebar to learn more about what Dave and his colleagues are up to on the other side of the world.

Dave Prepares to say Sayonara!

A street shot of Osaka, where Dave will be heading in March

Several months ago Dave was one of five young New York professionals chosen to take part in a Group Study Exchange hosted by Rotary International. He has been attending meetings and attempting to learn basic language skills in preparation for a four week trip to Japan. While in Japan, Dave will stay with a Japanese host family and will be meeting with many people working in the shoe industry there. In addition to these vocational visits, he'll also participate in social events, cultural and site tours and will be expected to participate in several group presentations, sharing Central New York culture with Japanese Rotarians.

Dave departs on March 27th, but one of his colleagues has already started a blog to share her thoughts on the journey. You'll see it linked on our sidebar from now until the trip has concluded and we encourage you to take a peek and see what Dave and his colleagues are up to. Of course, Dave will also send us his own updates from time to time and we'll be sure to share those as they come in.

As many of you know, our shoes have been quite popular in Japan for some time now. We can't wait to see if Dave spots any Aurora Shoes on the streets and we are definitely expecting a photo of his feet in Auroras on the other side of the world!