"We will provide added value that is a little different from JINS."

──Please tell us how J Eyewear Lab came to open a joint store with MINOTAUR INST.

"J Eyewear Lab" is part of the company JINS, but operates as an independent brand. The brand was born with the aim of offering added value that is a little different from JINS, and in the second year after the company was founded, we launched a product called "Neuron4D." At that time, we felt that we needed to spread "J Eyewear Lab" more widely around the world, so we were looking for a partner to share the brand. Through a combination of connections and timing, we were able to get Eiichi Izumi of MINOTAUR INST., a pioneer in the field of "wearable products that utilize technology," to join us as an advisor.

JINS and Izumi-san had a connection from the beginning, so this store opening came about as a result of that. I think what we are trying to do with eyewear and what Izumi-san is trying to do with apparel are quite similar. With us making the eyewear and Izumi-san making the apparel, we are able to propose a complete style for the whole body. We felt it was very important to not just explain this verbally, but to create a place where this could happen, which led to this store opening.

──This time it's not a pop-up, but a joint store. I imagine there are some challenges in working together, but is it like a testing ground in a sense?

That's right. We call it "Lab" and MINOTAUR calls it "INST." Our goal is to experiment and create something comfortable that has never existed before in the world, which is what MINOTAUR and I share, so rather than a short-term relationship like a pop-up, we want to create something together over the long term. We thought that opening a store would be a good way to output that.

──You said that you and MINOTAUR are aiming in a similar direction, but could you tell us more specifically?

We aim to use technology to create comfortable eyewear. However, comfort doesn't just mean functionality; we also believe that culture, personal fashion statements, and other elements are extremely important in what we wear. Conversely, I believe that without these elements, eyewear would not be comfortable.

Our design philosophy aims for "minimalism that blends in with urban life." Eyewear is something that is worn on the face for long periods of time, so it needs to flatter the face. We believe that this necessarily necessitates a simple form. Incorporating functionality and beautiful details into simplicity is more difficult than adding ornamentation to a design. But we continue to take on challenges and produce unprecedented results. It may be presumptuous, but I sense that in MINOTAUR as well. MINOTAUR has stated that it will incorporate street culture and the atmosphere of the times, and we too would like to propose unique and core items that feel the atmosphere of this place.

"You won't know how comfortable or tight it is until you actually try it on and compare it."

──Has working with MINOTAUR made it easier for you to express yourself in this way?

Yes, there is. Glasses alone are a small product, so the focus tends to be on the details, but being able to create a style with the whole body is a great advantage in terms of the breadth of expression.

──You mentioned the word "experiment" earlier. What kind of things do you plan to do in the future?

In today's world, where things are becoming overflowing and commoditized, I feel there is a demand for differentiated, authentic products. J wants to pursue the comfort of eyewear and create a variety of outputs. We create products, substantiate them with evidence, visualize them, and communicate them. We are still doing some of this, but for example, we can prove with evidence that a product is comfortable to wear. We also use thermography to visualize structures that have excellent heat dissipation properties.

Even so, online discussions tend to be superficial. The only place you can actually try on glasses is in a store, so I want to focus on letting customers experience them in physical stores. I think that feeling it with your body is a very important point. There are similar glasses that can have a difference in tightness of up to 80%, but you can't really know how comfortable they are or how tight they fit until you actually try them on and compare them.

However, I feel that there are some things these days that are more advantageous digitally than in stores. One thing I'm looking at is virtual reality. I'm hoping to be able to take a unique approach in a virtual space that lies between a physical store and online. J Eyewear Lab is only available in this store and in Roppongi, so I think that a place where you can experience a different worldview could be created in a more immersive digital space than in the real world. Since there are no spatial restrictions, the range of expression can be greatly expanded and I think more people can experience it, so I hope to use it as such a space.

Interview: Shuhei Matsuyama