SAN FRANCISCO—Tokyo-based Jins opened its first U.S. flagship store here on Friday. The 4,900-square-foot retail space will display 1,200 different styles of Jins exclusive eyewear, priced from $60 to $120. Known for its hip, affordable eyewear, Jins will offer four featured frame styles in the U.S.—the minimalist Airframe, the Classic for a multitude of styles and personalities, the vintage-inspired Neo Luxe, and the bright and patterned Soul Style.

Among the unique features of the store is a prominently placed robotic edger named Kanna that finishes customers’ eyeglasses while they wait. From start to finish, the experience takes about 30 minutes, according to a statement from the company. “We have other robots in Japan, where we also finish glasses in 30 minutes, but this Kanna robot was made exclusively for our U.S. launch in San Francisco,” a Jins spokesperson told VMail.

To simplify access, San Francisco architecture firm, Kwan Henmi designed well-lit repetitive grids to display frames.

Founded in 2001, Jins has grown to become the largest eyewear brand by volume in Japan, according to the company’s statement, which said, “Its stores in Japan push boundaries with their bright, inviting designs and other distinctive elements. Jins hopes to bring this innovative approach to members of the U.S. market.”

To do so, Jins collaborated with San Francisco architecture firm Kwan Henmi to create a unique, gallery-like retail setting that artfully blends nature with minimalism. "Eyeglasses are small, delicate objects that might get lost in a large space, but we made sure that they are easy to touch and try on, by organizing them in a system of simple, well-lit, repetitive grids," said Denis Henmi, president and CEO of Kwan Henmi.

In addition to its first brick-and-mortar location in the U.S., Jins also launched an e-commerce site on Friday for customers nationwide. Bay Area residents can purchase their glasses online and pick them up in-store on the same day.


Designed exclusively for Jins’ U.S. launch, the Kanna robotic edger finishes customers eyeglasses in 30 minutes while they wait.

To commemorate its U.S. opening, Jins has launched “Cases for Causes” in partnership with two local nonprofits, San Francisco Baykeeper and Wildlife Conservation Network, to sell a collection of unique eyeglass cases inspired by the organizations’ missions; 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the organizations.

While, “we want to focus on prioritizing the San Francisco store first,” the spokesperson told VMail, “we will definitely have more stores in the U.S.,” she said.

VMail reported in January on Jin’s plans to enter the U.S. market, as well as its plans to introduce Jins Meme, a new class of smart eyewear that uses eye-tracking and bio-sensing technology to detect changes in eye and body movements to monitor the body for better safety, wellness and health.