Quality & Service at Megane no Aoki

Published: August 22, 2022

Megane no Aoki is a long-established family glasses business that has been serving customers in the Ojima area for over half a century. On a recent sunny afternoon, I dropped in to meet the Usami family who manage it.

 

The shop is currently located in the Ojima Urban Renaissance Housing Complex just 4 minutes’ walk from Ojima station, after moving from its previous premises in October 2021.

 

To Kotomise coupon holders, Megane no Aoki is offering a very nice 1,000 yen off all purchases over 10,000 yen, or 500 yen off frames and lenses. That’s a real bargain!

 

Megane no Aoki is a real family affair; founder Mr. Usami senior, on the right here still works in the shop, together with son Mr. Naoki Usami and his wife, on the left here. Mr. Usami junior is a qualified optician and was hard at work with clients on the day I visited.

 

The shop is surprisingly long, extending right back into a workshop area behind the reception desk. The shelves are stocked with a dizzying array of glasses for customers of all ages, from kids sunglasses to fashionable spectacles to bifocals and beyond.

 

While the glasses selection is certainly extensive, it’s the eye test at Megane no Aoki that impresses. Instead of a virtual examination only, Mr. Usami can utilise the length of the shop for a natural eye test, which needs a distance of five metres to be accurate. Most opticians simply don’t have such space. Compared to many of the chain stores, the eye test at Aoki is extremely meticulous and designed to produce the most precise results.

 

But that’s not all. After the lenses are prepared the customers are able to try out their new glasses and experience performing daily tasks in a variety of surroundings. On the right there’s a sink where customers can mimic cooking or washing up, while on the left is a couch and television area. There’s also a desk with a laptop computer, vitally important in these days of working from home.

 

As anyone who has ever worn them knows, it takes some time to become accustomed to wearing bifocals. Walking down steps is especially problematic for beginners, hence the staircase to nowhere for customers to practice ascending and descending.

 

Megane no Aoki stocks many well-known brands, with the domestic manufacturers largely from the centre of spectacle making in Japan, the Fukui Prefecture town of Sabae.

 

With the hot, sunny weather predicted to last until October this year, it’s not too late to pick up some stylish sunglasses.

 

There’s a plethora of elegant foreign brands made under licence in Japan too.

 

Not forgetting children, who have their own fashionable selection to choose from.

 

While Megane no Aoki is a great place to pick up a new pair of glasses, they also offer services such as cleaning and adjustment. Mr. Usami senior gave my specs a thorough cleaning and recommended an anti-fog spray which kept my glasses free of condensation for three whole days, which is not bad for a Tokyo summer. Definitely a must-buy!

 

Megane no Aoki is a splendidly old-school family shop, where quality and service are all important. It’s also set amidst the calm, leafy environs of the housing complex, making it a relaxing place to visit. If you’re in the Ojima area, why not drop in and check out the latest in eyewear.

 

 

Story and photos by Stephen Spencer