Sabae: The ‘glasses capital’ of Japan

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Japan is known for its skilled craftsmen, masters who remain true to tradition while modernizing production techniques in line with the development of new materials and processes.

Many places in the country have become famous by focusing on specific crafts beautiful kimonos Unpleasant perfectly designed knives. Among them is the small city of Sabae, in Fukui Prefecture, about 3.5 hours by train from Tokyo.

It’s widely known as the eyewear capital of Japan – and for good reason. According to the local government, Sabae produces more than 90% of the frames manufactured in the country. Signs and objects in the shape of glasses can be found on the streets of the city, and there is even a museum festival dedicated to spectacles.

Located on Japan’s main island of Honshu, near the city of Fukui, Sabae has been producing quality eyewear for more than a century.

It all started in 1905, when a local government official invited skilled eyeglass makers to town to teach their craft, in an effort to create new opportunities for local farmers.

The move has paid off. Today, Sabae has more than 100 companies working together to make eyewear.

Although these studios use advanced machinery to produce new metal and acetate frames, most stages still require the skilled hands and trained eyes of Sabae’s master craftsmen.

This also applies to Takeshi Yamae, a frame designer from a Japanese brand Boston Club who has lived in the city for seventeen years. He tells CNN that one pair of glasses can cover more than 200 steps.

“I design it first, sketch it and then put it into my computer,” he says. “From the moment I start designing to the moment I have the perfect product, it takes more than a year.”

The designer says he likes to use new materials, such as carbon, but doesn’t follow trends given the time it takes to produce new frames. Instead, he prefers to look to the future.

“I start by thinking about who I want to wear it,” he says. “I often get inspiration from very Japanese things, for example houses, gardens and tableware.”

Although Sabae-made frames can be found all over Japan, there is something special about visiting the city and experiencing the process up close.

Some craftsmen involved in the frame manufacturing process dedicate their entire careers to just one skill, such as machine cutting, polishing or attaching the nose pads.

“Everyone in factories in Sabae wants to make beautiful, high-quality products that can be used all over the world and where you can tell at a glance that they are Sabae glasses,” says Takeshi.

Megane Museum of Sabae (“Glasses Museum”), located on Megane Street, has displays highlighting the dozens of steps involved in creating the perfect pair of glasses and hosts several events dedicated to the art of eyewear. Eyewear brands, including Boston Club, are often invited to showcase their designs in pop-up stores.

The museum also offers workshops for those who want to make their own frames: the perfect souvenir. (Visitors must reserve in advance.) Those short on time can simply visit the on-site shop, which is home to thousands of frames made by about 50 different manufacturers in Fukui Prefecture.

Fukui is one of four prefectures in Japan’s Hokuriku region, along with Toyama, Niigata and Ishikawa.

It’s now easier than ever to visit this less-traveled part of Japan thanks to a new shinkansen (bullet train) extension that opened earlier this year, connecting even more of the region to Tokyo.

The 2024 extension, ending at Tsuruga Station in Fukui, will add 125 kilometers (78 miles) of track and provide a wealth of new travel options for international visitors looking to escape the tourist crowds in places like Tokyo and Kyoto.

Fukui Prefecture has four stations on the extended Shinkansen line: Awara Onsen Station, Fukui Station, Echizen-Takefu Station and Tsuruga Station. (Travelers can board a separate train from Fukui Station for the 15-minute ride to Sabae.)

In addition to being home to the eyewear capital of Japan, Fukui Prefecture is filled with well-preserved ancient architecture, historic sites and temples, as well as newer attractions, including the Nishiyama Zoo, famous for its red pandas.

There is also the Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museumwhich has recently undergone a major expansion and is home to one of the largest dinosaur collections in Asia. It has 50 complete dinosaur skeletons, including a rare Brachylophosaurus mummy fossil.

For sakura seekers, the Asuwa River, which runs through the city of Fukui, is lined with a two-kilometer-long stretch of cherry blossom trees that bloom every spring.

The city is also a good base for those who want to visit Maruoka Castle Park, one of twelve remaining castle towers in Japan, as well as Eihei-ji, one of the two Soto Zen Buddhist temples.

When it comes to natural attractions outside urban centers, you don’t want to forget your glasses. There is a lot to see.

Highlights of Fukui Prefecture include the rugged rock formations on the cliffs at Tojinbo and the scenic Mikata Goko (Five Lakes of Mikata) and its Rainbow Line – an 11-kilometer road overlooking the lakes – in Wakasa Bay Quasi-National Park near Tsuruga Station.

Food is also a highlight of any visit to Fukui. The prefecture is a major rice producer and seafood port, making it a great destination for sushi lovers. The Echizen gani crabs – male snow crabs that can grow up to 80 centimeters in length – are a particularly popular attraction. In the season of November to Marchthey take their name from the coastline that is famous for them – Echizen.

Tourists interested in learning more about the history of crab fishing in the area can visit the Echizen Crab Museum on the coast.