Many regions and prefectures of Japan become inseparable from a single craft. Over decades, sometimes centuries, techniques are refined and passed down over generations. Sabae, in Fukui Prefecture, is one of those places.

Together with Toshiyuki Watanabe, designer of Japanese eyewear brand 817 BLANC LNT, we traveled north to visit the city often described as the center of Japan’s eyewear production.

We made our way to a local workshop far removed from the image of mass production, through the cold winter air of Hokuriku. What we found was not your average factory. We stepped into an eyewear manufacturing site where craftsmanship stood central, a place filled with artisans and a history that has supported Japanese eyewear for more than a century.

We take a closer look at how Sabae’s eyewear manufacturing culture functions today, as we search for the balance between craftsmen’s logic and designer intention, and how 817 BLANC LNT positions itself ahead of its first Paris exhibition in five years.

Sabae as Japanese Craft

Sabae’s reputation as the sacred ground for eyewear can be easily explained through numbers. Around 95 percent of all eyeglass frames produced in Japan are made in this region. But the scale alone doesn’t explain why the city continues to expand its footprint.

The roots of Sabae’s eyewear industry stretch back more than 120 years. In a region known for heavy snowfall, eyewear production began as winter labor during the agricultural off-season. Over time, what started as a side hustle grew into a distinct craft, as these skills were refined through specialization and competition among different workshops in the region.

Rather than producing frames from start to finish within a single workshop, Sabae developed a networked system. Each process (cutting, polishing, shaping, assembling) is handled by different specialists. Today, a single pair of glasses can pass through roughly 250 separate steps, often taking six to ten months before completion.

This structure creates a different understanding of quality, as no single person controls the entire object. It is this process that made Sabae stand out and brought its craftsmanship global recognition.

The 817 BLANC LNT Approach

817 BLANC LNT produces all of its frames in Sabae, a decision that isn’t based on quality alone. Designer Watanabe, originally from Fukui Prefecture, began his career as an apparel buyer. Unlike many eyewear designers, he did not come from a manufacturing background. That distance allowed him to question assumptions that had long gone unchallenged.

“When I started the brand in 2012 ,” he explains, “Japanese eyewear already had excellent comfort and precision. But at the time, many designs felt overly conventional.”

817 BLANC LNT emerged from that discomfort. The technical foundation is entrusted to Sabae, while the design is approached through a fashion context. By combining local craftsmanship with Watanabe’s sensibility, the brand established its own direction.

- A little more context about 817 BLANC LNT–

BLANC is a Japanese eyewear brand launched in 2012. Striving for the beauty of our products, we esteem not only their compatibility with face but also the sense of fashion. Our products are style statements that create a balanced look for your styling.

The joyful, stress-free experience of wearing 817 BLANC LNT eyeglasses every day emanates from our insistence on the accuracy of each piece that forms the design. Every miniscule component of our eyewear is designed to complement the relationship between the bones of the face and the glasses. 817 BLANC LNT eyewear is manufactured in Sabae, Fukui, an area that is home to many skilled eyewear artisans. 817 BLANC LNT’s breezy fashion sensibilities bear testimony to the detailed, highly accurate work accomplished by Japanese craftspeople.

Inside the Workshop

We had the privilege to enter one of the workshops where 817 BLANC LNT’s frames are being crafted. The workshop we visited was filled with unfinished parts, aging machines, and tools shaped by years of use, with each craftsman manning a dedicated station to focus exclusively on their step of the process.

Thanks to the experience of these artisans, the production doesn’t solely rely on measurement, as experience and hand feel play a big role. The process could be fully automated, but in the name of respect for the craft, human judgement and intuition remain an essential part of the process.

“Japanese manufacturing allows for small individual differences,” Watanabe says. “But I don’t see that as inconsistency. I see it as character.”

This vision is deeply reflected in the finished piece you’ll find in the racks, where uniformity is not the ultimate goal. Comfort, familiarity, and subtle variation take priority.

Between Design and Craft

Besides the art of designing a unique piece of eyewear, there’s the art of respecting the balance between the designer and the craftsmen who will bring your concept to life. In that regard, Watanabe always first considers how the glasses will be worn, by whom, with what clothing, and in what environment.

Some designs reinterpret silhouettes associated with older eras, while others push structural limits through extremely fine lines or complex construction. Naturally not all ideas on paper are immediately feasible. This is where the negotiation begins.

“What matters is whether they suit the person wearing them.”

This idea forms the core of Watanabe’s approach, as for him, eyewear is not meant to communicate status. It is something that naturally fits into daily life, chosen as part of one’s personal style. 817 BLANC LNT’s identity is formed precisely within this tension.

Shortly after our visit, Watanabe departed for Paris for 817 BLANC LNT’s upcoming exhibition, which marks their first overseas presentation in five years. While overseas shows bring pressure, the manufacturing base in Sabae remains a steady foundation.

Standing inside the workshop, it became clear that 817 BLANC LNT does not exist apart from Sabae. A respectful 2-sided relationship between designer and craftsmen results in one of Japan’s most promising upcoming eyewear brands, who is now setting its eye to overseas market, starting with Paris.