FEATURE｜The essence of technology is concentrated in "glasses that break well" by Taniguchi Eyeglasses.
REASON TO MAKE ORIGINAL.
The essence of technology is concentrated in Taniguchi's "glasses that break well".
Taniguchi Eyeglasses is based in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, the holy land of eyeglass manufacturing, and since its establishment in 1957, it has been producing masterpieces at the request of renowned eyeglass makers. 1996 saw the creation of its original brand "Turning," which handles everything from manufacturing to wholesale. The spectacles produced by TURNING's high level of technology, which is well known in the industry, are so safe and comfortable to wear that even ophthalmologists recommend them. In February of this year, TURNING's children's glasses, TPK3301, TPK3302, and TPK3303, went on sale after a long period of development. This summer, the same models for adults were released in rapid succession. For this interview, we spoke with Koichi Nakamura, a development manager at Turning, and Toshiyuki Araoka, a producer at Araoka Eyeglasses, who is an old friend of the company, about the excellence of these products.
In our house, "sturdy and unbreakable" is not the right answer.
First of all, the combination of "Taniguchi Glasses" and "Araoka Glasses" reminds me of "Elder_ARAOKAGANKYO," which HOUYHNHNM's also covered.
bamboo groveAt that time, from the planning stage, we were proceeding on the assumption that we would ask "Taniguchi Glasses" to do the work.
NakamuraWe had been talking about wanting to create something together for a long time.
Left: Koichi Nakamura, in charge of development for "Turning" , Right: Toshiyuki Araoka, producer of "Araoka Glasses".
bamboo groveWe had to work very hard to create it (laughs). (Laughs.) The drawings were so complicated that they had to be rewritten more than 20 times. It was a job that only Taniguchi could have done.
Can you tell us specifically what was difficult?
bamboo grove. it is still the gap between the top and bottom. The brow part is edgy, but the bottom part leading from it is curved. . It would be easy to simply pour the material into a mold, but it takes a lot of skill to cut it out. Whenever I show the finished product to designers in Japan or overseas, they are always amazed, wondering how in the world I made it.
NakamuraOf course, we could not sacrifice comfort, so we were very careful about the combination of the two.
On the other hand, I often hear good things about our original brand, "Turning. . After all, the children's glasses that were released this year are amazing.
NakamuraIn fact, many of Turning's customers are retailers owned by ophthalmologists. They asked us to create glasses that they could wear with peace of mind, even after they had purchased them. It took us three years of development, but we were finally able to create something that was uniquely ours.
TPK3301, TPK3302, and TPK3303 are the newest additions to the "Turning" lineup.
What are the differences from the previous Turning products?
NakamuraSince they are used by children, they are made with the expectation that they will be worn roughly or bumped. Therefore, they are designed to be easily repairable and adjustable as the head grows.
bamboo groveWhen you try to make a good pair of glasses, I think it is usual to focus on design and comfort. But "Turning" is also concerned with the way they break. It is quite rare in the industry to think about how to make a pair of glasses break well.
"It breaks well" .
NakamuraWhen a pair of glasses breaks, the most important thing is not to damage the eye. . Next is the face, then the lenses, and then the frame. . Therefore, we have designed this work so that the frame will take the impact. Strength is of course important, but the customer can also rest assured that the glasses will be safe even if they break.
He is so particular that if he is not satisfied with the product, he discards all finished products.
What exactly is it that leads to a "successful breakdown"?
NakamuraFor example, we have designed the temple joints to be slightly thinner so that they will bend upon impact. Since ordinary eyeglasses have no escape from the impact, the entire component would be damaged. Aside from the safety aspect, this also makes repairs more difficult. But with this one, the neck of the seam part bends so that it can be easily repaired.
NakamuraAlso, the acetate of the temples is made so that it can be easily removed. This means that even if the core metal of the temples is bent, the acetate side does not need to be replaced. This makes the cost of repair much lower.
The acetate on the temples can be easily removed .
bamboo groveThe core metal is made of a material called beta titanium, and at first they were made of pure titanium. However, it was softer than expected. I heard that they discarded all the finished parts, changed the core metal to beta titanium, and remade them.
Using a sticky material , the design is able to withstand even when the temples are tipped outward.
NakamuraWe decided that it was problematic for children to hang it. We delayed the release of the product, which inconvenienced our customers, but we were able to sell the product in a condition that we could recommend with confidence.
Is there any ingenuity in the acetate part?
NakamuraThe glasses are designed with the concept of "backward center of gravity balance" so that the glasses do not shift downward when worn. The part of the glasses that touches the head is flat so that it is supported not by a point but by a surface. The coefficient of friction is also calculated.
bamboo groveYes, we have even created our own educational materials to share with retailers the weight balance, number of friction systems, and so on. No other manufacturer does that.
Glasses for children are glasses that can be used as they are for adults.
The response to the children's version has led us to release two models for adults, TP332 and TP333 .
Nakamura. It was also because of Mr. Araoka's words. He said, "If a pair of glasses is made with children in mind, why not make them for adults as well? He said.
bamboo groveI simply wanted to see how something made to a high standard for children could be made for adults .
Are there any minor changes in terms of design or design?
Nakamura. The design has been partially changed, but it is almost the same.
There are many color variations. It would not look at all out of place if it were for adults as it is. . To begin with, I was surprised that this adult coloring is for children.
NakamuraToday, children's fashion is changing rapidly, and conventional children's glasses would look out of place in this environment. That is why we dare to use adult-like coloring in our products.
I heard that special order colors for "Araoka Glasses" will also be available. Was the coloring suggested by Mr. Araoka?
TP332" is a limited edition color of " ARAOKA GOGAKU ".
bamboo groveYes, that's right. I wanted to create an authentic atmosphere, somewhat like the 70s and 80s.
NakamuraIt is quite rare to find a toteis shell pattern (tortoiseshell color) that is this bright and has an orangey, loose feel to it.
bamboo groveOther than that, the words "Araoka Eyeglasses" printed on the inside of the glasses. . In fact, we asked one of our staff members to write this on the inside of the glasses.
Finally, what is your outlook for the future?
NakamuraWhen we celebrated our 60th anniversary in 2017, we set forth the message "Yoroso. . We will continue to keep these words in mind as we work hard to make glasses. In the fall, we plan to release a model using metal frames. I hope you will pay attention to them as well.
