Akira Inomata is front page news in Ely, Minnesota.  Here is the article from the September 13 Ely Echo:

Ely Rotary Club is excited to welcome its first ever exchange student.  Watch these pages to learn more about our young visitor from Japan, who will live in Ely and attend Ely Memorial High School for the 2013-2014 school year.

In the photo at right, Akira is met at the Duluth airport by his host family, the Levars.  After traveling for more than 19 hours from Japan, he then had a two hour drive north and east to Ely, Minnesota, very close to the US/Canadian border.

Here he is with his host family "sister," in the family's traditional first day of school picture taken on the big rock.

If you would like to share photos and comments about Akira's exchange year, please email them to skasbeer@gmail.com.

Ely Rotary Club meets each Wednesday at lunch.  Akira has been in the US for two Wednesdays and both times he's come to the meetings.  Here he is building a sandwich at the buffet before the club gets down to the business of the day.