About NAKANISHI® 1928
A Family Built On Tradition And Legacy
For decades, Nakanishi has enrooted its name in the eyewear industry as one of the thriving multi-generational family businesses in Japan’s handmade optical industry. Focusing its core business in the artistry of handmade eyeglasses since 1928, Nakanishi is one of the pioneers in eyewear business in Fukuoka, Japan. Back then; learning t
he arts of eyewear making was an uphill task that required a great deal of attention, perseverance, patience and dedication. The level of precision in the eyewear making in the golden days was beyond compare. Takeo was one of the earliest craftsmen and the only handmade eyewear craftsman in Fukuoka. Nakanishi Takao decided to continue his family’s artistry as a young lad in his 20s. He took more than 15 years to master his craft and skills under the watchful eye of Takeo, teacher by day and father by night. Takao was a great apprentice. And like his father, he learned the artisanal craft of making eyeglasses using metal and gold. In 1950s, the Nakanishi shop began operating in Nish*tetsu Market, the heart of Fukuoka town, which is now known as Ten-Jin Core. It was in this shop that third-generation Nakanishi Takayoshi was born. Takayoshi grew up around the business and even as a young child, he understood the responsibility to take over the family’s business. He brought a different perspective into the family business through his expertise in optical production and operations. His expertise allowed the brand NAKANISHI® to leapfrog to a whole new level when he returned to Fukuoka in 1983 to take over the family’s dominion. As the brand approaches its 90th year, the family’s fourth generation is helming the business with a whole new sensibility. NAKANISHI® sets its eyes on setting a stronger foundation in the international market as the brand expands outside of Japan for the first time. In 2017, NAKANISHI® launches the Heritage Collection, its latest set of eyeglasses that epitomizes the family’s roots and heritage. Each piece carries a deep meaning to the family’s heritage and legacy; paving a new way for the brand to reestablish itself in the optical world.
