Let me have a look at your glasses.
- Ruler Glasses Encyclopedia vol.3 -

It's becoming a pleasant season.
On a crisp, clear autumn day, your glasses will look great and your vision will be clear.

This is the third installment of the "Mono-rusu Glasses Encyclopedia." In the past two issues ( vol.1 ) ( vol.2 ), we featured men with glasses who have been wearing them for 5 years to those who have been wearing them for over 20 years. The more you learn about glasses, the deeper their meaning becomes. From those who consider glasses to be their own, to those who say they are nothing to them. In response to popular demand, the third installment will once again feature men with glasses who are like a ruler.

For people who wear glasses all day, they can be said to be a part of their face. How did people first encounter glasses and how have they lived with them? We asked them about their thoughts on glasses and what they look for when choosing them.

Part 1: Yoshinobu Tamaki (18 years of experience wearing glasses)

Glasses I'm wearing now:
Purchased at OWNDAYS (around ￥10,000)

Tips for choosing glasses:
Originally, I wasn't that interested in glasses, and when I chose them, I was like, "Well, this is it...". But a few years ago, I found Kaneko Glasses and fell in love at first sight. For the first time, I thought, "I want to wear glasses forever!" Since then, I've been enjoying them while also looking for something stylish. I like the shape of my current glasses, so I bought a pair with gold temples at the beginning of the year, but when I fell asleep on the train after a drinking party, they disappeared without me noticing... I had no choice but to buy the same style again. I subtly changed the frame to black (lol).

Why do you wear glasses?:
I tried both soft and hard contact lenses, but they didn't suit me. I used to be a nurse, so maybe I'm reluctant to put something in my eyes. Glasses are just more comfortable. But I've recently started surfing, so I want to be able to see the waves properly, or rather, I want to be able to see far into the distance to see if there are any good waves... I'm considering soft disposable lenses.

Part 2: Izao Murakami (25 years of experience wearing glasses)

Glasses I'm wearing now:
Purchased at JINS (around ￥15,000)

Tips for choosing glasses:
I've been wearing glasses since I was in junior high school, but I don't really have any particular preference. I think this is my fourth pair in 25 years, so I've been using the same pair for quite a long time. I don't take special care of them, and I treat them quite roughly. When I choose them...I don't really have any particular criteria. If I had to say, I prefer something that isn't too noticeable (lol). My current glasses are the first to have blue light blocking processing. I was feeling a bit unwell, so I thought it would make things a little easier. As for the effect...well, I don't know.

Why do you wear glasses?:
I tried contact lenses once, but they kept falling out and it was a pain. I don't have any particular feelings towards glasses, but I think I'll keep wearing them for the rest of my life. I don't have any idea what glasses I want to try next, and I don't have any fashion sense. I'm happy if I can see far away. My relationship with glasses has always been parallel.

Part 3: Kenichi Takeda (27 years of experience wearing glasses)

Glasses I'm wearing now:
Purchased at Vienna Glasses in Korea (around 6,000 to 7,000 yen in Japanese yen?)

Tips for choosing glasses:
I've been wearing glasses since I was in sixth grade, and my first pair was Ralph Lauren. They were surprisingly good. I have eight pairs now, and about six of them are still in use. From colorful ones to rimless and round glasses, I like any shape that I like. I have a bespectacled face, so most glasses look good on me (lol). My current favorite is this Korean pair. The inside of the frame is red, and the color has a really cheap feel to it. They don't have a Japanese feel. They break if I use them too much, so I reuse several pairs.

Why do you wear glasses?:
I've loved glasses since the beginning. At the time, few people around me wore them, so I was kind of excited. Now I only wear contacts because they get in the way when I'm taking pictures. Even if I get LASIK or something, I think I'll still have fake glasses. I want to change my face... I get bored of my face... Just like everyone else changes their clothes, maybe I want to change my mood with glasses.

The life of glasses is quite complex.
There are fateful encounters that make you fall in love with glasses all at once, and there are also times when you feel like you've never been closer to someone you've never met. The more we listened, the deeper the discussion on glasses became.

Glasses have a history.
If I have the opportunity, I would like to ask the ruler glasses people about various things.