Japanese eyewear brand to open its first U.S. store

San Francisco -- One of the largest eyewear brands in Japan is entering the United States. Tokyo-based Jins, a pioneer of “smart” eyewear, will open a flagship in San Francisco, and launch a U.S. e-commerce site this spring.



Jins, founded in 2001, currently operates more than 300 stores in Japan and China. The company specializes in fashion-forward prescription and nonprescription eyewear at affordable prices. Jins’ frames, including lenses, will retail for between $60-$120. In August, Jins will make available its Meme smart eyewear to U.S. customers. The glasses use bio-sensing technology to detect tiny changes in eye and body movements so that the wearer can monitor their body for better safety, wellness and health.



At 4,900-sq-.ft., Jins San Francisco outpost will stock more than 1,200 different styles and feature an on-site lab that creates prescription lenses. According to the company, customers receive their glasses from start to finish in approximately 30 minutes.



“We chose the Bay Area as our first stop in the U.S. because it perfectly reflects Jins' progressive spirit and passion for innovation," said Shinsuke Tomita, president of Jins Eyewear US. "With the opening of the San Francisco store, we hope to change the way people think about shopping for glasses in the U.S. Similar to how we shop for shoes or jewelry, we want our customers to explore countless designs and color options without being limited by the unnecessary complexities and inflated prices that are still the norm in the eyewear industry today."