Glasses Museum: Tokyo’s most Instagrammable Wall
The glasses museum is now closed, but this article will remain.
A glasses museum is in Ikebukuro? Yes, there is. Well, the name might be a misnomer. I’d call it a shop with a unique facade. Anyway, this is another popular Tokyo photo spot. If you want something new for your Instagram feed, this post is for you.
The museum is a little crazy. Why would someone create a wall of them? No joke, it is about ten meters high. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Social media loves this colorful shop. This is a great example of quirky Japan.
What does the shop’s name mean?
The name of the shop is Rougan Megane Hakubutsukan. We could translate that into English as the “Museum for Long-sighted Glasses.” I will ask the owner why he called it that one day.
What is inside the Glasses Museum?
It’s filled with thousands of pairs of glasses. Everything inside is cheap. They range in price from a few hundred to about six thousand yen. Lenses are fixed, so look around till you find what you need. Hopefully, the frame you want is there too.
How to photograph the glasses
The spectacles are straightforward to photograph. Stand across the road and snap away. I also took a few pictures looking straight up and from the sides.
Plastic glasses cover the building’s facade. They are a mix of colors. Tying the frames to the wall must have taken days.
This wall is a cool Instagram picture. It is a little strange but pleasing to the eye. The glasses aren’t in a pattern, but the multitude of colors drags my eyes around the picture. Eyes can’t rest here. That is very attractive. What do you think of the wall?
There is one problem with taking these pictures. That is the perspective. As you photograph up, the glasses might seem to fall back in your photo. I used the transform panel in Lightroom to correct it. Some people mightn’t even worry.
Where is the Glasses Museum?
Rougan Megane Hakubutsukan isn’t far from Ikebukuro Station. It was about a ten-minute walk. If you need a map, Google Maps has a great one.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, the name of the shop is Rougan Megane Hakubutsukan. I like to think of that as the “Long-sighted Glasses Museum.” But, on Google Maps, it is “Aged Glass Museum.” Why?
In Japanese, “rougan” means longsightedness (because of old age). Is my translation correct? I’m not sure, but it makes sense to me. If you have any better ideas, I will enjoy hearing them. Anyway, I hope to see more of the Glasses Museum on Instagram!
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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