"What we're undertaking is almost unprecedented."

--Are there any changes in the workflow between the traditional process of designing glasses and using technology to create designs?

For example, Neuron4D uses a 3D printer to manufacture the internal parts of eyewear, which are made with a lattice structure. They create them using a parametric 3D design tool called Grasshopper, searching for optimal values. This is a dramatically different method from the past; for example, it takes a year and a half from planning to launching a pair of glasses. This is because there are many parts and, as a basic premise, they must be made using molds. Mold production ensures quality and mass production, and it takes two months to make the mold, and then each process takes several weeks, so it takes about a year to make a single pair of glasses.

That's the norm, but with 3D printing, a prototype is created the moment the 3D data is created, and it can generally be completed in less than a week. With conventional manufacturing methods, the PDCA cycle from when a sample is produced to when it is verified involves a maximum of two samplings before it is made into a product. Up to that point, the only way to improve accuracy is to combine blueprints and imaginary parts, but with designs using 3D printing, you basically just produce it once and try it on. I think the big difference is that you can repeat this process dozens of times before launching.

On the other hand, that alone won't get you anywhere, so we'll continue testing while running authentic processes. There are both parts that won't change and parts that will change dramatically. The workflow to combine these is something that didn't exist in the company's structure until now, so I think that's what has changed. In the regular eyewear industry, existing methods have been used for about 100 years, and methods have been selected and combined within those methods. Generally, things that have never been used before are seldom used, but most of the things we are working on are unprecedented. In fact, given our policy of not taking on anything that has never been done before, combining unprecedented materials and manufacturing methods with existing methods means rearranging our workflow.

──It must be difficult to mix new techniques with traditional methods. How do you feel after actually trying it?

I think eyewear is essentially something we wear for long periods of time. We change our clothes every day, but we rarely change our glasses, and they're a necessity for people with poor eyesight. I think that in the future, glasses will become more wearable and incorporate technology, but at their core, we believe that comfort is a universal need and value. We believe this is extremely important, and the significance of using 3D printers is that they allow greater freedom in creating comfort, exceeding the limits of what's possible with conventional mold molding. In that sense, I believe there's still room for technology to update comfort, and from that perspective, I feel there's great potential in combining various technologies, structures, algorithms, and empirical data to create a comfortable environment.

Human issues and the true meaning of users' urban lifestyles may not be limited to cities. Nowadays, people who live in the city may go outdoors the next day, and there are many different lifestyles. I think it is meaningful for us to publicize the situations in which such users use our products and continue to provide more comfortable products for various situations.

Since it's something you wear, it needs to have a certain fashion sense and a sense of self-expression. In the case of eyewear, the question always arises of whether it's something that can withstand long periods of wear and that "feels right," so we want to have the answer to that. For example, I think that glasses worn on the face won't catch on unless there are more types than there are smartphones. Different people have different face shapes and the type of glasses that look good on them, and the definition of a design that is both comfortable and looks good varies from person to person, so I think that things worn on the face need to be diverse. In order to produce a variety of eyewear that solves the challenges of new lifestyles and that "considers what looks good," we would like to continue to actively reform our manufacturing processes by incorporating new methods.

"The important thing is to have customers who will stick with us for the long term."

──Information and technology are key to pursuing comfort.

I think technology opens up possibilities in many directions, but because it's so broad, I think it's important to narrow it down to one area. I want eyewear to make me excited when I put it on, and I want it to be comfortable and stress-free. This is different for each individual, so I would like to make these three questions into questions and use technology to create a brand business that finds solutions.

However, as a business company, we are expected to achieve results to a certain extent. However, rather than business success as a result of strengthening marketing activities, I think the most important KPI for success is to communicate our true intentions and attract customers who will stay with us for the long term.

--In the future, when we reach an age where we can freely create glasses on demand, other companies may start using similar methods to make glasses. Are you considering a brand strategy with that in mind?

That's a difficult point, but right now we're really working hard on it. I think that in the future technology will become a commodity, and when that happens, we need to be the first to step into areas that aren't red oceans. Rather than competing through business and rationalization, I think that as the first penguins, we will be taking cutting-edge initiatives and making inroads into cutting-edge areas.

In terms of strategy, I believe there must be a worldview that only we can bring to the table. If consumers recognize that we have pioneered this era with a foundation of fashion and identity, then I believe our value will remain firmly established.

──It feels like the word "Lab" is condensed there.

Until now, the name was "J of JINS," but we changed it in August of this year. We had talked about sticking with the brand name "J," but we wanted to incorporate the universal attitude we will have as a brand going forward, so we added the words "experiment" and "lab" to make a bold statement.

Interview: Shuhei Matsuyama