Look no further – we've got the best places in town for all your eyewear needs
Most shoppers look for glasses due to practical purposes, while others prefer to use a trendy pair of frames as a fashionable accessory to jazz up their look. Tokyo has more than its fair share of shops and sometimes it’s almost impossible to keep track, but we’ve squinted really hard and dug up our favourite eyewear spots in the city. Read on for where you can find an amazing pair of specs to suit your style and, of course, help you see properly.
Read as ‘Four Nines’, this domestic eyewear brand is through and through Japanese, executing stylish frames designed for the 'characteristics of the Asian face'. The brand stresses the importance of comfort and proper sizing when it comes to wearing a pair of glasses, aiming to relieve discomfort and other unnecessary symptoms...
Sabae City in Fukui prefecture dominates the eyeglass frame market in Japan with its whopping 96-percent market share, and even hosts a museum dedicated solely to the craft. Hailing from this mecca of eyewear, award-winning manufacturer Aoyama Optical...
Found just a few steps from Nishi-Ogikubo Station's north exit, Rozy functions both as a spectacle shop and a workshop where you can create your very own, unique pair of specs. Glasses-making classes are held on a regular basis, helping you to pick out materials, attach the pieces to each other and adjust the lenses...
Boasting over 100 years of history, this optician initially invented a special pair of ‘museum glasses’ for viewing works of art. Since then, they've been turning out spectacles tailored for many different cases like glasses for seniors, frames for sports activities and much more...
Jins’ Harajuku flagship has been back selling glasses to the masses since reopening with a handsome makeover in 2012. Pick up stylish facial furniture at affordable prices in cool new surrounds – Jins stalwart architect Makoto Tanijiri was in charge of the new design...
This particular optical frame manufacturer has been around since 1905, turning out one-of-a-kind Japanese-made frames in Fukui prefecture. Their flagship location in Kita-Aoyama offers an array of unique frames and sunglasses you won’t find elsewhere. Their craftsmanship truly shows, as each pair of glasses takes about 200 manual steps to complete...
Once the official mirror suppliers for the Tokugawa shogunate, Murata Gankyoho has been specialising in spectacles since 1872 and continues to help the Imperial Household see more clearly. Their very first shop opened back in 1872 and they've continued to create immaculate...
Offering a wide range of both popular international labels and Japanese brands, Paris Miki is your one-stop shop for all your eyewear needs. The Shibuya location could easily be mistaken for a ’70s diner, as its bright red interior is decked out with flashy retro furniture and nostalgic accents amidst the stock of glasses...
You might get dizzy browsing through this shop filled with budget-friendly frames and sunnies as far as the eye can see. The shop is almost impossible to miss as the entrance is adorned with hundreds of glasses clearly marking what they sell inside...
We round up the five Tokyo flagship stores you must visit right now
Discover Time Out original video
