A Day for Beach Sandals

Today, and August 3rd annually, is Beach Sandal Day ビーチサンダルの日 in Japan. Beach Sandals in this case relate to zori-style flip-flops. The commemorative day was established by Tsukumo, a Tokyo based company known as the only manufacturer that still handcrafts traditional Japanese beach sandals.

The purpose of the day is to encourage people to enjoy summer from the ground up, literally, by wearing beach sandals and appreciating their comfort and craftmanship. The date of the commemoration comes from a playful combination of 8/3 - the "8" looks like a "B", as in "Beach", and the "3" can be read as "san" to represent "Sandal". 

Tsukumo beach sandals have a very specific, traditional look, with a flat EVA sole, simply Y-strap and no molded shapes. The photo in this post does not feature Tsukumo beach sandals, just fun fish shaped flip-flops!