Gozaemon Masunaga, a village council member in Asozu Village, Fukui Prefecture (now Fukui City), started a spectacle frame manufacturing business as a way for local farmers to earn income during the snow-covered winter off-season. He actively employed local young people and opened a night school on the second floor of the factory. He also supported the independence of the young people he trained to become craftsmen. The spectacle manufacturing company founded by Gozaemon is Masunaga Optical, which still represents the spectacle industry in Fukui Prefecture today. The core original brand "MASUNAGA GMS" is derived from "GOZAEMON MASUNAGA SPECTACLES" and the founder's initials.


Among the "MASUNAGA GMS" models, there is one that was presented as a gift to Emperor Showa. Records show that it was presented to Emperor Showa during his visit to Fukui in 1933. The paulownia wood box, labeled "Replica of the Gifted Item" and stored at the company headquarters, was apparently a spare in case something went wrong with the original gifted item. Opening the lid reveals an Art Deco style leather-covered decorative box containing three eyeglass frames identical to the gifted item: one made of celluloid and two made of solid 20K gold. Each is housed in its own dedicated case. Despite being over 80 years old, the condition is remarkably good, and the items are sacred, as if still quietly breathing, as if the craftsmen had breathed life into them.


"I've heard that when preparing the tribute items, the two craftsmen would change into white robes, undergo a purification ritual, and then begin work. Even Gozaemon, the head of the family at the time, wasn't allowed to set foot in the workshop. Creating items to be presented to His Majesty the Emperor was a very sacred ceremony."

Masunaga Sotaro, the current president of Masunaga Optical, is the great-grandson of the founder, Masunaga Gozaemon.

Masunaga Eyeglasses President Sotaro Masunaga

"When we celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2005, we revived the GMS line, which had been on hiatus until then. As a showcase of modern technology and a declaration of our commitment to the future, we used the original model as a motif, creating it with the latest materials, technology, and design. It was very well received, but some customers wanted the original design exactly as it was. So in 2009, we released the GMS 999 as a复刻版 (reproduction) of the original gift. The number 999 represents something that is almost the ultimate."

NEXT≫The Imperial gifts that remain today are works of art and craft in the form of eyeglasses.