We went on a factory tour in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, the holy land of eyeglass making in Japan.

According to the Sabae City website, as much as 96% of all eyeglass manufacturing in Japan takes place in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture. Sabae is not a very large city, with a population of only 70,000, but one out of every 10 people in Sabae is employed in the eyeglass industry, making eyeglasses an inseparable part of the city. (Incidentally, Nakahara Ward has a population of 220,000.)

That is why there are objects of glasses everywhere, from inside the station to in front of the station.

When I drive around, I see eyeglass factories in all kinds of places, but I only notice them because I know the names of eyeglass-related factories and manufacturers a little, and the general public has no idea what I am talking about.

Therefore, the Megane Kaikan is a place where visitors to the sacred land of eyeglasses can "see, buy, and learn the history of eyeglasses".

https://www.megane.gr.jp/museum/

It is said to be very crowded on major holidays and weekends. There is a museum inside that tells the history of eyeglasses, which is also worth a visit.

Sabae glasses are plastic frames by the time they are completed.150~200Process, in metal frames.200~250It is said that the manufacturing process takes about 10 to 15 minutes. With the exception of a few companies, the division of labor is a characteristic of manufacturing in this city.

Therefore, a single pair of glasses is made using the technologies of various companies, such as those that make screws, nose pads, plating, molds, printing, and so on.

I was shown several companies this time, but I would like to introduce some of them in several parts because they are so detailed that even if they were explained to me, I would be told that they are too detailed to understand well.

This article was written by.

Ryoji Osaka

First-class opticianBorn and raised in Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City. After working for a domestic manufacturer and a foreign IT company, I entered the eyeglass industry. In addition to the eyeglass industry, I enjoy contributing to the local community in Musashi-Kosugi by starting up a local community with my friends and cooperating in shopping district activities.