As Optician waited for the 31st edition of the International Optics Fair Tokyo (IOFT) to open, it was struck by just how many delegates were there in anticipation of the ribbon cutting ceremony.
A crowd of up to 500 people had congregated in front of a large stage and with a live band providing the cabaret-style soundtrack, the great and the good of Japanese optics were ushered on to the stage while the throng of delegates showed their appreciation.
It was a slightly surreal, but positive experience. Here there was a crowd of professionals from Japan and beyond that had made their way to a trade show before it had opened to show their respect to prominent figures within Japan’s optical associations. It is something that would not happen anywhere else in the world and the pomp and pageantry set the tone for the event.
IOFT was launched in Tokyo as an international trade show in 1988 to provide the opportunity for eyewear manufacturers and brands to enter the Japanese market. Initially, most of the exhibitors were Japanese, but as eyewear started to figure more prominently in the global fashion consciousness, more European brands were invited by organisers, Reed Exhibitions, that says most of the brands have been repeat exhibitors since. This year, there were 130 overseas exhibitors out of the total figure of 390, making it a genuinely international event.
Made in Japan
The international feel of the event quickly became apparent. William Morris London happened to be on one of the first booths near the entrance in the Tide area of the event – a space set aside for international eyewear brands.
The company was making its debut at the event, with the time in Tokyo being used primarily to establish the brand in the Asian market. To do this, founder Robert Morris had established the Black Label Made in Japan collection. He said: ‘Unlocking the market in Asia has required a different product. Different markets demand certain manufacturing origins and there aren’t many better places to make glasses than in Japan.’
One of the models from the collection, the Black Label Made in Japan BL40001, caught the attention of the IOFT Eyewear Awards judging panel. The open-topped dual construction frame struck a chord with the judges thanks to its ‘ability to be part of a person’s individuality without making too much of a statement.’ Although the frame did not win its optical category, being recognised among Japanese eyewear stalwarts provided plenty of positive exposure.
Japanese optical stalwarts do not get much bigger than Masunaga. Established by Gozaemon Masunaga in 1905, the company is credited with lifting the overall quality of eyewear manufacturing in Fukui, where the vast majority of Japanese frames are now made. Masunaga established a guild like system where craftsmen could go on and create their own eyewear businesses. Gradually, the number of skilled craftsmen grew, and the optical industry grew around Fukui.
There are plenty of eyewear factories in Japan and many exhibited at IOFT, looking to pick up OEM (original equipment manufacturer) business – if there are any opticians looking to create a high-end eyewear brand, IOFT should be your first port of call.
Masunaga
Masunaga differs from the others by controlling the end to end manufacturing process, which affords the highest exacting standards. Production is kept as low tech as possible and a two layer quality control process eliminates the possibility of defects. The overall Masunaga aesthetic is simplicity and wearability, with svelte acetates and slimline titanium styles. Collaborations with Japanese fashion designers yield more avant-garde shapes.
Manufacturing is also incredibly important to Y-Concept. The brand produces unique beta titanium frames that offer a broad scope of adjustability thanks to a one-piece design with floating lens construction. The inverted supra lens is only connected to the brow at the nose bridge, giving it extra flexibility and comfort. The shapes are typically Japanese – creative half-rim, but new models have more of a European feel to tie-in with the company’s planned international expansion.
What stood out about Y Concept was its dedication to Japanese manufacturing. Director Kayoko Yamada is completely transparent about the origins of parts and manufacturing. All but the German hinges are sourced from Japan and the company has a certification card for all of its parts. Given how guarded most brands are about their point of manufacture, the Y Concept approach was refreshing.
Lindmaster Glasses International had a familiar look to its wares
Like many exhibitions, the event featured a China pavilion, which was full of the usual accessories, stacks of budget frames and anime cleaning cloths. One particular stand stood out though, and the frames stood out even more. Lindmaster Glasses International, had a familiar looking product, with a definitive feel of Danish design to it. A closer inspection showed traits like single wire coil hinges and mixed titanium and acetate construction. Naturally, the quality of the frames on the Lindmaster booth was poor, with rough finishes and ill-fitting acetate.
Counterfeiting and copycat culture is nothing new in eyewear, especially in Asia, but to see it first-hand showed just how much of a problem it causes companies like Lindberg, which also exhibited at the event – even the photographic campaign images matched those of the Danish designer. The company says it has a worldwide team of legal professionals that are ready to pounce on those who infringe design and patents – which in turn protects its customers. It adds that its focus now is finding those who manufacturer the product to thwart the counterfeiting process at source.
Tech focus
Technology in eyewear may have had a rough few years, but that has not dampened the enthusiasm in Japan for high-tech frames and accessories.
Those with a good memory may remember Pixel Optics, the inventor of electrically adjustable lenses for presbyopia. The lenses in the Empower frames were based around a liquid crystal lens that could change its power when charged with electricity. The product did not get a consumer release and the project was shelved after a split with manufacturing partner, Panasonic.
As Optician walked around the event, a buzzy stand adorned with LED screens caught its attention. Video animations showed a bifocal lens that was changing refractive power, without any mechanical aid. Closer inspection revealed a liquid crystal segment design.
Touchfocus, a project led by Mitsui Chemicals, has seen Pixel Optics reincarnated in a much more refined package. The liquid crystal portion of the lens provides an instant 0.75 addition at the touch of a temple-mounted sensor. As with many wearable technologies, battery size limits the overall performance, but Touchfocus has done a good job of hiding the battery in the temple end tip. Claimed battery life is 10 hours, but this need not be an issue as the other temple end tip can hold a spare battery.
Y Concept YC-013
The frames represent a much more polished aesthetic than that of Empower. Temples are slender and house all the required circuitry. At present, the Touchfocus frames are only officially available in Japan, at an eye watering cost of ¥250,000 – around £1,700.
A relatively low-tech solution to a high-tech problem was found in the Ninja esports frames from avant-garde French designer, Parasite Eyewear. The world of esport competitive online gaming has boomed in recent years and has morphed into a billion-dollar industry. Gamers take on counterparts over the internet, but tournaments in real world locations are becoming commonplace.
To be successful or in some cases, professional, in the world of esports takes dedication – and lots of screen time. The virtues of filtering blue light emitted by screens and devices has long been a point of contention in the optics sector, but if there was ever a patient demographic that would benefit from blue light protection, it is the esport gamer.
Solutions for filtering this band of light have existed for some time, but many are at the lower end of the market and are offered via non-optical retail channels. Opticians could be missing an opportunity to use their expertise in this growing area.
Generally based around heavily tinted yellow lenses, the frames tend to take on a sporty wraparound style to offer plenty of protection. Aside from reducing visual stress, the yellow tint is claimed to improve contrast and reduce glare, both of which aid performance when dealing with fast moving images on a screen.
Parasite Eyewear has a penchant for the unpredictable and many of its frames sport a split temple that clasps the head above and below the ear. This temple design has been used for its Ninja gaming glasses to offer gamers additional comfort when wearing headphones – which is pretty de rigeur for serious players. The lack of mass also helps with comfort, as the 3D printed frame weighs just 8g.
Next year’s event takes place at Tokyo Big Sight from October 8-10. Visit ioft.jp for more.