【FOCUS IT.] Eyewear connects people and things. The Lobby Tokyo is a place where you can experience the thoughts and new values of Yuichi Toyama. You can experience the thoughts and new sense of value of Yuichi TOYAMA.

YUICHI TOYAMA. (YUICHI TOYAMA.) is an optical brand that designs glasses with a simple yet unique presence and is highly acclaimed around the world for the reliable quality of its Sabae craftsmanship.

This year marks the five-year anniversary of the brand's renaming from its predecessor, "USH.

thereforeHOUYHNHNM covered it when it opened.We visited THE LOBBY TOKYO, a showroom, coffee shop, and eyewear maintenance shop for the brand, to talk to designer Yuichi Toyama and store manager AYA.

What kind of thoughts are behind the stores that offer multifaceted proposals and the new brand that was launched last year?

Neutral, without adhering to a genre.

It has been four years since "The Lobby Tokyo" opened.

Sotoyama: coffee shop, eyeglass maintenance and <Yuichi Toyama. showroom. These three have been the mainstay of our business, but we have also started selling the sunglass brand "mille," which was launched last year. To ensure that we are able to provide the best fitting service to our customers, our barista girlfriend has studied and acquired specialized skills in everything from eyeglass processing to adjustments.

AYA: Since the store is often operated by me alone, I wanted to increase what I could do by myself, so I learned a lot.

Toyama: You also went to Fukui.

AYA: I went on a factory tour in Sabae. I learned firsthand about the hard work that goes into making eyeglasses by being shown the machines and hearing about the techniques used, and I strongly felt the passion that the Sabae craftspeople have for their work.

How did you feel when you studied the adjustments, etc.?

AYA：I became able to notice that the glasses of people I pass on the street are a little off, and I realized once again the importance of wearing comfort. It was difficult until I got used to it, because each person's face shape is different and the point of adjustment varies depending on the width and height of the ears. I will continue to work hard so that I can make smooth adjustments for stress-free wearing.

You are actively holding events at your stores, aren't you? And in a genre-less manner. Are there any pop-up events that have left a lasting impression on you?

Toyama: In 2020, when the "Dogs" store led by rapper KOHH collaborated with "Yuichi Toyama. I was personally impressed by the fact that people from various genres gathered at the same time as the launch event for the collaboration between rapper KOHH and photographer Ippei Yume, which was held at the same time.

AYA: For me, it was the launch event for Miret held last year. The number of women and young people in their 20s, which had been rare until now, increased, and our customer base has expanded. By selling eyewear directly to customers, it is very helpful to hear users' opinions in real time.

What is your passion in organizing the event?

Toyama: Perhaps it is because I have been naturally exposed to music and art, but I have never felt any age barriers in culture. That's why I wanted YUICHI TOYAMA. and Miret are brands that are open to all ages, and I want The Lobby Tokyo to be a place where people of all ages can gather. I would like to continue to hold pop-ups that bring together people from all walks of life, without sticking to one genre or another.

AYA：I sometimes propose events, but I think it is better if it is just a chance for people to get to know the brand rather than a direct link to eyewear purchases. In fact, I have even had people in the apparel industry come to me and say, "I would like to use your eyewear in my styling.

Toyama: We want people to be exposed to our brand through an unbalanced combination of events. I feel that such a way of entering the market is connected to the value of "The Lobby Tokyo.

I think the charm of collaboration is that you get to discover new things.

Toyama: Although there are trends in eyeglass design, there are no major changes in the essence of eyeglasses. However, just by changing the way we think about the act of wearing eyeglasses, new value can be created. I would like to make the shop a place where such discoveries can be made.

What kind of customers do you usually have?

AYA: People from nearby companies and people who live in the neighborhood come by for a cup of coffee, and we also have many users of "Yuichi Toyama. As a showroom, we also have a showroom for <Yuichi Toyama. As a showroom, we have a full lineup of YUICHI TOYAMA. so many people come to the store to try on the clothes.

The interior of the store is also very sophisticated...I can see why people would want to go there for coffee.

Toyama: The concept of "Yuichi Toyama. The concept of "The Lobby Tokyo" is "neutral. Our motto is to keep evolving with room for growth, so we were conscious of creating "The Lobby Tokyo" so that the store would not be limited to glasses alone. The front is a gallery space and the back is a coffee shop.

hand-drip coffee
Carefully dripped with beans from Single O Japan, a roaster from Sydney. The coffee changes every month, so you will want to come back again and again.

The clean look of the store also gives a sense of "neutrality.

Toyama：White is the concept color of the brand, which is also accentuated on the tips of the temples of the glasses. White is a "neutral" color that can be dyed any color. When it touches red, it turns red, and when green is added, it turns brown. That is why we use white as the base color in our stores.

The color of the pop-up is a color that is not only a color of its own, but also a color that is a part of the pop-up. I think this is exactly the right color for a place where new values can be discovered through pop-up collaborations.

Designs that meet diversifying needs.

Last year, you launched two new lines, YUICHI TOYAMA:5 and YUICHI TOYAMA / D, in addition to the Miret line. Please tell us about the background of these new lines.

Toyama：For a long time, my motto has been to make eyeglasses that enrich people's feelings when they wear them. After the Corona disaster, people's jobs, lifestyles, and lifestyles became more diversified. The result was "Yuichi Toyama: Five".

We teamed up with five Sabae craftsmen to create all the original parts in pursuit of design and comfort. We developed an original hexagonal screw that prevents the threads from being crushed easily, and we also attached a special card-shaped screwdriver, so the design allows anyone to maintain the product by themselves.

I think it is cool that people are able to adjust their bikes and cars by themselves. I think it is similar to that.

Toyama: Yuichi Toyama/D is responsible for the parts that cannot be fully expressed by Yuichi Toyama:Five. We are pursuing a Japanese-style beauty, rather than the classic European or American frames that are so common these days. We look at Japanese folk art and create designs that are solid and have a unique roundness.

It is a subtractive sensibility unique to the Japanese, such as the spirit of Zen and wabi-sabi. Miret is a brand of women's sunglasses, but I think they are also designed with a different sense.

Toyama: At Miret, there is myself and another designer, and AYA and the rest of the staff work as a team, actively incorporating everyone's opinions into the design process.

AYA：I give my opinions on the colors and shapes I want from a woman's point of view, and I also convey the opinions of customers who come to "The Lobby Tokyo".

Toyama：While the staff at general eyeglass shops are rather predominantly male, AYA-chan has studied fitting, which is a strength of the brand. Customers feel more comfortable conversing with us when a woman is present. I want to value the ideas that come up at that time. We want to be a brand that straightforwardly reflects opinions from various directions.

I see that many things have been derived from "The Lobby Tokyo". What kind of store do you want to make in the future?

AYA: I still have a lot to learn. I am having a lot of fun serving customers, and I want to make this a place that people will want to come to in the future. I hope it will become a place where people can come and relax even if they have nothing in particular to do.

Toyama：After listening to AYA-chan's story, I see that she enjoys meeting people here, and I also believe that meeting people is very meaningful. I think the value of "The Lobby Tokyo" is not the store, but the people.

AYA：We want people to be interested in eyewear from a different perspective than a regular eyeglass shop. In the future, we will not specialize only in eyewear,YouTubeWe are also considering transmitting the information in

Toyama: This year marks 30 years since I started designing eyeglasses. In order to expand the possibilities, I would like to create a brand with people who have different ideas from mine. After opening "The Lobby Tokyo," I feel that not only designing is creative, but also creating an environment is creative. I wonder what kind of things will be created if we provide this kind of place. I look forward to seeing more things than I imagined being created in the future.

Photo_Yuma Yoshitsugu
Text_Shogo Komatsu