Glasses Museum: Tokyo’s most Instagrammable Wall
The glasses museum is now closed, but this article will remain.
Is there a glasses museum in Ikebukuro? Yes, there is. You’ll find it in Ikebukuro. Well, to call it a museum might be a misnomer. I’d call it a shop with a unique facade. Anyway, it is another popular Tokyo photo spot. If you want something new for your Instagram feed, this post will help you.
The museum is a little crazy in my opinion. It’s hard to believe someone would create a wall of them. They’d look right at home on any social platform. No joke, it is about ten meters high. I’ve never seen anything like it before. When people talk about quirky Japan, they might be talking about this place.
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 decided to call it that one day.
What is inside the Glasses Museum?
It’s filled with thousands of pairs of glasses. Everything inside is very cheap. You can get some for a few hundred yen, and some expensive ones range to about six thousand yen. They all come with lenses, so you need to look around till you find what you need. Hopefully, the frame you want will be 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.
This wall is a very cool picture for Instagram. 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. But what do you think of the wall?
There is only one problem with taking these pictures. That is the perspective. As you will be photographing up, the glasses might seem to be falling back in your photo. I used the transform panel in Lightroom to correct it. But some people mightn’t even worry.
This wall is a very cool picture for Instagram. I find it 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. But, what do you think of the wall of glasses?
Where is the Glasses Museum?
Rougan Megane Hakubutsukan was a ten-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station.
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 (due to 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 okonomiyaki. His camera will capture the entire city one day.
For more museum articles, look at these:
