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LIFESTYLE
Taking Eyewear to the 21st Century with Hitoshi Tanaka President, CEO and Founder of JINS
JINS
In the past, eyewear served a medical function, but now it’s more commonly a fashion accessory as well. Upping the ante in this industry is JINS, a Tokyo-based eyewear brand that is expanding in the United States. Founded by Hitoshi Tanaka in 2001, JINS now has over 400 stores across the globe in Japan, China, Taiwan and the U.S. JINS launched its first U.S. store in San Francisco in April 2015, followed by opening a store in San Jose and two in Los Angeles. JINS is known for its affordable (prices range from $60-$140), high-quality eyewear created with the passion and spirit of the Japanese craftsmanship. The shopping experience in the stores is simple and speedy; your glasses are made in 30 minutes. At the flagship store in San Francisco, there is a lens edging robot named KANNA that can make 63 pairs an hour. The brand offers 1,200 different styles, including a line of smart eyewear called JINS SCREEN and JINS SCREEN NIGHT that filters blue light and reduces eye fatigue. As founder, president and CEO, Tanaka continues to expand his mission to make stylish, high quality eyewear more accessible for everyone.
ALIST Magazine: Why did you decide to start an eyewear company? Hitoshi Tanaka: I decided to start an eyewear company when I first visited Korea in 2000. I realized how inexpensive glasses were in Korea and was very amused with the pricing. In 2001, when I launched JINS, the price of glasses in Japan averaged between $300-$500 in Japan. But I knew that eyewear can be made much more affordable, and I felt that customers shouldn’t have to pay an up-sell in price. AM: How did you come up with the name of JINS and the design of the logo? HT: My name is Hitoshi Tanaka, and the character for Hitoshi is written like “仁” which means love and affection. The phonetic way of saying Hitoshi is “JIN,” and my nickname has been “Jin-san.” (In Japan, you say “–san” after someone’s name.) The logo of JINS is “J!NS” and I included an exclamation mark for the “i” to show that shopping for eyewear should be exciting, full of surprises and being happy. AM: What did you do before starting JINS? HT: I always had an entrepreneurial
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FALL 2016