Japan's Lens Technology: Competitiveness in Global Markets and Strengths of Specialised Companies
Characteristics of Japanese Lenses and Technological Advantages
Exceptionally High Quality Control and Precision Manufacturing
Japanese lens manufacturers produce with precision to units of 1/10,000 of a millimetre, and thoroughly maintain consistent domestic production from moulding through surface processing, polishing, dyeing, to coating. They repeat rigorous checks and quality inspections at each process stage, paying meticulous attention to quality stability for each lot. Quality control extends to minute details such as managing the expiration dates of cleaning solutions and coating solutions. This enables stable product supply with minimal quality variation.
World's Most Advanced Coating Technology: International Comparison and Japan's Advantages
In the world's most advanced coating technology, Japan possesses unique strengths. Japanese manufacturers have pioneered the development and practical application of multifunctional coating technologies including surface hardness improvement (hard coat), anti-reflection (hard multi), impact resistance enhancement (primer coat), water repellency, anti-fouling, ultraviolet cutting, and infrared light reduction. For example, capabilities such as Ito Optics' "Heat Guard Coat" and other unique inorganic heat-resistant lenses and functional lens development are distinctive to Japan. Panasonic Corporation's "Nano Surface Coating" employs nano-level thin films to reduce reflection across the entire visible light spectrum to its limits, suppressing ghost images and flare.
International Comparison
United States
In the United States, MIT has developed nanostructure coating that improves light absorption efficiency by 20 per cent, whilst NIST has designed multilayer coating exceeding 100 layers that suppresses transmittance error per wavelength to below 0.05 per cent for hyperspectral cameras. They have particularly succeeded in reducing manufacturing costs through simulation-driven development and automation technology. However, they lag behind Japanese products in durability, with average warranty periods remaining at approximately one year.
Germany
Germany's Carl Zeiss has achieved 99.7 per cent visible light transmittance with "T* coating" and suppresses ghost occurrence rates to below 0.001 per cent. UVEX has developed permanent water-repellent coating that maintains a contact angle of 110 degrees even after 500 cleaning cycles. Whilst technically at the pinnacle, high energy costs resulting in elevated manufacturing costs present challenges.
South Korea and Israel
South Korea has pioneered new possibilities with self-healing lens technology through KRICT-KNU joint development that repairs scratches with 60 seconds of solar light exposure, whilst Israel has developed digital 3D printing technology through Flo-optics that achieves coating with 0.1μm precision.
Cost Performance Evaluation
Japan's Advantages
Japan's coating technology boasts the highest cost performance in the mid-price range. High-function polarised lenses such as Ito Optics' "RARTS" are offered at under 10,000 yen (approximately 65 dollars), achieving one-third the price of equivalent German products (approximately 30,000 yen/195 dollars).
Japan leads the world in manufacturing efficiency through energy reduction via continuous production technology in atmospheric pressure environments and 30 per cent production cost reduction through Mitsui Chemicals Group's digital printer technology. Through multifunctional integration technology, six functions including heat resistance, anti-fouling, and ultraviolet cutting are realised in a single coating, dramatically improving cost efficiency.
International Positioning
German products hold advantages in space development and high-end camera markets where high durability and high precision are required, but prices are 2 to 3 times that of Japanese products. The United States is pioneering emerging markets with advanced customisation technology, but lags behind Japan and Germany in durability.
Japanese technology particularly achieves double the production efficiency and halved costs compared to Germany's conventional methods in water-repellent coatings for automotive displays. By providing a balance of high quality and affordable pricing across a wide range of fields from consumer products to industrial applications, Japan maintains competitiveness in global markets.
Proprietary Material Development and Innovative Design
MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC. has independently developed the world's first sulphur-containing urethane material "MR-6™", realising high-performance plastic lenses that are thin, lightweight, and produce minimal image distortion. SEIKO has developed the world's first double-sided aspherical single vision lenses and "inner progressive lenses" that fuse progressive surfaces and astigmatism correction surfaces on the inner surface, enabling natural vision comfort and comfortable long-term wear. Furthermore, Japanese manufacturers focus on "reducing eye fatigue" and have developed lenses uniquely specialised in visual comfort, such as ES lenses that reduce the burden of focus adjustment.
Comparative Advantages Over Overseas Products
Japanese lenses and frames are designed with emphasis on wearing comfort, fit, and durability, offering the significant difference of comfortable long-term use compared to overseas products. Overseas products tend to prioritise design and price, with fit and durability not receiving the same emphasis as in Japan. Furthermore, Japanese lenses pursue quality down to fine details, such as selecting optimal coatings for each refractive index to suppress interference fringes (striped patterns characteristic of thin lenses). Overseas products sometimes omit certain processes or coatings for cost reduction, resulting in a tendency towards variation in quality and durability.
Characteristics of Japanese Small and Medium-Sized Lens Manufacturers
Introduction of Representative Companies with Advanced Technology and Craftsmanship
Japan has numerous small and medium-sized enterprises in the lens sector that are recognised for their unique technological capabilities and high-precision processing abilities.
Kohno Optical Lens Co., Ltd.
Kohno Optical Lens Co., Ltd.（https://www.kohno-optical.com/） is an established optical lens manufacturer founded in 1869. The company is headquartered in Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, with its main factory in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture. The company handles diverse optical components including medical equipment lenses, industrial lenses (FA, semiconductor, mechatronics, surveillance, electronic equipment), camera lenses, and prisms, accommodating lens processing across a wide range of sizes from a maximum of 300mm to a minimum of 1.2mm.
The greatest characteristic is its production capability that maintains an integrated in-house system from optical glass moulding, cutting, polishing, coating, to assembly, and its flexible responsiveness to multi-variety, small-lot production. With production capacity on a scale of one million units per month, the company supplies products to over 200 companies domestically and internationally.
Through technological capabilities and quality control systems cultivated over many years, the company continues to provide high-quality optical lenses across a wide range of fields including medical, industrial, semiconductor, aviation, surveying, and office automation equipment. Through TQM (Total Quality Management) activities and employee suggestion systems, the company actively engages in quality improvement and workplace environment enhancement, with achievements including the Japan Quality Encouragement Prize TQM Encouragement Award.
Furthermore, the company maintains affiliated companies overseas, establishing a global supply system. Whilst maintaining over 150 years of tradition, the company is also active in introducing new technologies such as IoT and AI.
WORKS Co., Ltd.
WORKS Co., Ltd.（https://wks-co.com/） is a manufacturer headquartered in Onga-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture, with ultra-precision processing technology as its strength. Since its founding in 1991, the company has specialised in manufacturing precision micro-components and has gained high recognition particularly in the field of optical lens moulds. The company handles diverse products supporting cutting-edge industries, including moulds for optical lenses for 5G communications and autonomous driving (ADAS), high-precision moulds utilising cemented carbide and ceramic materials, precision special nozzles for electronic circuit board manufacturing, and medical bio-equipment components.
The company's characteristics include ultra-precision processing technology with tolerances below 0.001 millimetres and a track record of developing world-class smallest glass lens moulds with a diameter of 0.1 millimetres. The company maintains an R&D centre and continuously engages in new technology and new product development responding to market needs. The company has 60 employees (as of 2022) with annual sales of approximately one billion yen. It is also a member of multiple industry associations including the Japan Die and Mould Industry Association and the Japan Society for Precision Engineering, representing one of Kyushu's leading precision processing companies.
Wakasa Optical Laboratory
Wakasa Optical Laboratory is one of Japan's oldest lens manufacturers, founded in 1924, with its headquarters in Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Established by founder Yoshijiro Wakasa with the aspiration of "domestic production of optical instruments", the company has consistently handled the design, development, and manufacturing of special lenses and optical equipment over many years.
The main products include special glass lenses for projectors and various testers utilising optics such as liquid crystal television and camera film inspection equipment. The company maintains an integrated in-house system from design to manufacturing, with strengths in custom responsiveness to diverse customer requirements and high technological capabilities. The company has 30 employees with annual sales of approximately 500 million yen. It also develops exports centred on Asian markets.
Kiyohara Optics Inc.
Kiyohara Optics Inc.（https://www.koptic.co.jp/opt/index.html） is a comprehensive optical manufacturer established in 1949, headquartered in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo. The company consistently handles the design, processing, and manufacturing of optical components such as lenses, mirrors, and prisms, as well as advanced optical systems including interferometers, stimulus presentation systems for fMRI, and solar automatic tracking devices.
The company possesses extensive experience in prototype production for research and development and special applications, as well as consulting in the optical field, conducting numerous joint developments with national research institutions, universities, and private companies. Handling a wide range of wavelengths from ultraviolet to X-ray and infrared to microwave, the company provides technology to space, medical, and industrial fields, including space telescopes (satellite-mounted) and microgravity protein crystal growth equipment.
The company operates under the philosophy that "as long as humans have eyes, optical work is eternal".
Strengths of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Global Competition
These small and medium-sized enterprises fuse traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge precision processing technology, creating high-value-added lens products that cannot be replicated by other companies. Their strengths include multi-variety, small-lot production, customisation responsiveness for special applications, technical support from the research and development stage, and flexible production systems, establishing solid positions in niche markets even within global competition. These enterprises support Japanese manufacturing across a wide range of fields including research and development, medical, industrial, energy, and next-generation devices, with their technological capabilities highly valued for meeting special needs that large manufacturers cannot address.
Application Fields of Lens Technology
Applications in Camera and Optical Equipment Fields
Japanese lens technology is utilised in a wide range of optical equipment including digital cameras, interchangeable lenses, broadcast cameras, and surveillance cameras. Particularly through aspherical lenses, special low-dispersion glass, and nano-level coating technology, products with excellent high resolution, compact lightweight design, and durability are realised. For example, FUJIFILM Corporation's "HT-EBC coating" and Tamron Co., Ltd.'s "mass production technology for large-aperture glass moulded aspherical lenses" have become technologies supporting high-definition video equipment compatible with 4K/8K broadcasting.
Applications to Medical, Industrial, and Space Fields
Japanese optical technology is widely applied to medical equipment such as endoscopes, industrial machine vision, robots, 3D cameras, and space development equipment. For example, UNIVERSE KOGAKU CO., LTD. leverages precise lens technology cultivated in spectacles and contact lenses to provide mission lenses for space research institutions and custom lenses for medical and industrial fields through integrated production. Furthermore, HOYA Corporation's optical glass composition and melting technology utilises over 50,000 glass composition data as proprietary technology for manufacturing homogeneous glass at high temperatures, which is also applied to precision medical equipment.
Development into Smart Devices and Wearable Technology
Optical design and coating technologies for spectacle lenses are being applied to wearable devices such as smart glasses and AR (augmented reality) glasses. Additionally, as future prospects, development of display-embedded contact lenses (smart contacts) and contact lenses with sunglass functionality is also progressing. Panasonic's "Nano Surface Coating" and "spatial recognition technology (DFD)" contribute to performance improvements in next-generation wearable devices.
Applications in Daily Life (Spectacles, Contact Lenses, etc.)
Japanese optical technology is also applied to spectacles and contact lenses used in daily life. High-performance plastic lenses that are thin, lightweight, and produce minimal image distortion have been realised, such as MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC.'s "MR™ Series" urethane lens materials and SEIKO's "double-sided aspherical single vision lenses" and "inner progressive lenses". Furthermore, unique designs responding to the meticulous needs of Japanese people and long-term wearing culture are characteristic features, including blue light filtering, progressive multifocal, and eye fatigue reduction. Particularly focusing on "reducing eye fatigue", technologies specialised in visual comfort such as ES lenses that reduce the burden of focus adjustment contribute to improving quality of daily life.
Japan's Lens Industry Position in the World
Japan's lens industry has established an outstanding position in global markets through precise quality control and innovative technological development. From camera lenses to medical equipment, industrial optical components, and spectacles and contact lenses for daily use, Japanese lenses are internationally recognised as synonymous with high precision and high quality. Japan possesses technological advantages that cannot easily be replicated by other countries, including manufacturing precision to units of 1/10,000 of a millimetre, multilayer coating technology, and proprietary material development, earning high recognition in global markets. Particularly, not only major manufacturers but also numerous small and medium-sized enterprises with unique specialised technologies exist, supporting the diversity and technological capabilities of Japan's lens industry.
Japan's Lens Export Performance and Figures
Export Value and Quantity of Camera and Optical Equipment Lenses
According to the latest data for 2024, Japan's photographic lenses (for cameras and optical equipment) recorded quantities of 133,940 units (96,801kg) with export value of approximately 11.914 billion yen (July 2024 performance). The export price index for optical machinery and lenses overall in November 2024 was 160.1 (2020=100), rising 10.3 points compared to the same month in the previous year and continuing to maintain high levels. The global camera lens market overall is estimated at approximately 5.87 billion US dollars in 2024 and is predicted to reach 8.02 billion US dollars by 2029.
Export Performance of Spectacle Lenses and Sunglasses
Japan's spectacle lens market is valued at approximately 3.3108 billion US dollars (over 500 billion yen) as of 2024, with annual production reaching approximately 45 million units. This is supported by a network of 120 manufacturing facilities nationwide and 28,500 opticians, with the average price of custom lenses at 15,000 yen per pair. The market is predicted to continue expanding at an annual average growth rate (CAGR) of 6.35 per cent, reaching 5.76409 billion US dollars by 2033.
Global Market Share of Contact Lenses
The domestic market scale of Japan's contact lenses and related products expanded steadily to approximately 331.4 billion yen (based on manufacturer shipment value) in 2023. Major manufacturers have production capacity of 65 million units per month, with plans to expand to 75 million units per month by 2027. Japanese manufacturers continue to maintain high market share in global markets, with particular progress in expansion into growth markets such as Southeast Asia and China.
Major Export Destinations and Market Trends
The main export destinations for Japanese lenses are Asia (China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.) and Europe and America (United States, European countries). In 2024 camera and lens exports, exports to America showed significant growth with units increasing 29.6 per cent and value increasing 49.6 per cent, whilst exports to Europe also increased 7.2 per cent in units and 28.8 per cent in value. In Asian markets, demand expansion continues alongside economic growth, expanding sales channels for Japanese lenses. Japan's technological capabilities in aspherical lenses, multilayer coating, and high refractive materials continue to receive high recognition in global markets.