What’s inside the high-quality eyeglass vendor Megane Ichiba?

Do you know where the top 3 eyeglass producing regions in the world are? They’re in Belluno, Italy; Shenzen, China; and Japan’s very own Fukui Prefecture.
In Fukui Prefecture, there is a particular area called Sabae, which is very famous for producing glasses.
Megane Ichiba, an eyewear shop, also runs their own factory in Sabae.

Megane Ichiba has store locations all over Japan.
In fact, I bought the glasses I usually use from one of their stores. If you are looking for glasses that were made in Japan, I highly recommend visiting one of their shops.

I took a look inside the Namba store in Osaka to see what it’s like. This shop is the most visited among tourists from overseas. Let me show you some of their products and how to make a purchase at the store.

An amazing assortment of Made in Japan eyewear

Megane Ichiba’s Namba location is right near the popular sightseeing destination—Dotonbori.

It’s close to the entrance to the Osaka Metro and inside the shopping arcade, so it’s easy to get there even if it’s raining. Plus, the shopping arcade is so full of shops, you won’t get bored walking around.

This area is usually busy, and when I visited there were a lot of visitors from overseas.

The shelves inside the shop are full of glasses!

The selection is mostly eyewear that was made in Japan. It’s pretty amazing to think that all of these different styles were made domestically. And it is hard to make a selection, because there are so many. According to the shop staff, they’ve developed about 250 kinds of eyeglasses. And they’re made at their Sabae factory in Fukui Prefecture.

Customers are verifiably satisfied with the quality too. Across the country, the company’s product return rate for eyeglasses is only 1% and the return rate at Megane Ichiba stores is even lower, only 0.4%!

The Namba store sells eyeglasses and a lot of sunglasses as well.
It’s not apparent from my photographs, but they have a selection of high-end brands and officially licensed sunglasses.

How to select a pair of glasses and the steps to making a purchase

Purchasing glasses at an eyewear shop in Japan generally follows a certain set of steps.
First, you select a set of frames that you like from the shop’s display.
Of course, if you need help you can ask the staff for recommendations.
The Megane Ichiba staff, in particular, are very friendly. They will help you find a pair that looks good on you.
Once you’ve chosen your frames, the next step is an eye exam.

Here is what the machine looks like for the exam.
When you buy a pair of glasses, the eye exam is free of charge.

You then choose a pair of lenses.
Generally speaking, changing the lenses in a pair of glasses at Megane Ichiba can be done without any additional cost. Many eyewear stores charge an additional fee for multifocal lenses, but Megane Ichiba doesn’t charge extra.

You follow the prompts on the screen to complete your order. It’s easy and the staff will explain how it works.
After payment, you can pick up your glasses, but you will need to wait anywhere from a few days to a week, depending on the lenses you chose.
If you would like to pick up your glasses during your time in Japan, please visit early on in your trip.

Also, Megane Ichiba does ship internationally through EMS. So it is possible to have your glasses shipped via EMS if you will not be in Japan to pick them up in person.
*Please be aware that if you have your glasses shipped overseas, the purchase cannot be processed as duty-free and shipping costs will apply. Please inquire with the store staff.
You can scan the QR code in the store to enter your shipping address from your smartphone.

And you will get an email to confirm when your order has shipped. So that takes any worrying out of the process.

Staff recommendations at Megane Ichiba

I asked the shop staff about their recommendations. This is what they told me in *August, 2023.

The lightweight ZEROGRA series

These are the lightest frames they have in the store. The amazing level of comfort from this series was created by shaving off all of the inessential parts. Normally, glasses are made of about 30 parts, but ZEROGRA glasses are made with only 7.
Using a simple yet beautiful frame shape, these were created to “make your face look as if you aren’t wearing glasses at all”
This product really shows off the technical expertise of products made in Japan!

NOSEFREE glasses won’t leave a mark!

This is the series that I am most interested in.
These glasses are designed to put minimal pressure on your nose. And even if you wear them for a long period of time, they won’t leave a mark on your nose.

Because I spend a lot of time at the computer with my glasses on, my nose starts to hurt after a while and they leave red marks.

I want to try a pair of glasses like this that will sit on my face differently.

THE BEDFORD HOTEL glasses are both classical and cool-looking

If you’re looking for something stylish, check out THE BEDFORD HOTEL series. There’s a wide range of carefully crafted designs available, including thick square frames that make a strong statement.
This brand features high quality design that was developed in cooperation with domestic and overseas factories.

“We want customers who have come all the way to Japan to enjoy the experience of choosing their frames” says one staff member. Of course, you are welcome to come in for a look and try on different frames too.
The staff are there to answer any questions you may have, so feel free to ask.