Oh My Glasses Looks for Global Market

What about glasses and why Oh? A local glass frame dealer in Fukui is undertaking projects to create another made-in-Japan commodity out of IT-merged glass frames.

Tadayasu Kiyokawa, 35, founded six yeara ago an eyeglass frame dealing company "Oh My Glasses" which now markets its products extensively over the internet. 

A heavy eyeglasses user himself, President Kiyokawa has long been bothered by first buying frames of his choice in the net and then consulting an optician for the lenses. Meanwhile, he is much preoccupied with the pressing need of activating local industries in his locality, Sabae. Then occurred to him an idea of setting up a venture corporation of his own to streamline the line of making eyeglasses.

Sabae, Fukui, is well known for quality eyeglass frames - probably the best in the world, says Kiyokawa. He adds:

"There aren't any so-called brands for eyeglass frames and I thought Sabae could be the first to brand its line of glass frames. 

"For instance, not every New Yorker would care to wear Japan-made dresses and vice versa. But, you see, eyeglasses are common to all, anywhere in the world. What's manufactured here today can sell the day after tomorrow anywhere in the world.

"Such cosmopolitan merchandises are hard to find."

But, his "idea" took some time to materialize. Local frame manufacturers first dodged the very idea of running a business on the internet. Kiyokawa-san then talked one of them into testing the internet with some sizeable profit. The rumor spread fast and the local frames manufacturing community eventually joined the wagon.

Kiyokawa-san has a unique business policy to cultivate the market. Oh My Glasses lets its internet customers try up to five sample frames handpicked from the net catalog for five days, selected one(s) and return the rest free of charge.

Quite a cool setup, no? (Nathan Shiga) 

Source: NHK