He entered into the industry the hard way, and at first the eyeglasses manufactured in Fukui were regarded to be third-rate in the world. In order to raise the quality standards of the products, Gozaemon established a guild like system where full-fledged craftsmen could create their own businesses. Owing to this system, the number of eyeglass craftsmen increased gradually, and the optical industry spread all over Fukui.
Fukui, Japan is one of the three largest production regions for optical frames in the world, along with China and Italy. 97% of Japanese-made optical frames are manufactured in Fukui. Masunaga Optical premiered the production of eyeglasses in Fukui in 1905. The company founder Gozaemon Masunaga brought in skilled craftsmen from Osaka and Tokyo with the ambition of setting the optical industry solidly in place in Fukui.
The company’s mission statement since the establishment is “We manufacture excellent eyeglasses. We want to make a profit if we can, but we don’t hesitate to take a loss. It is always in our thoughts to manufacture excellent eyeglasses.” These words are still the basis of the conduct code of employees even more than 100 years after its establishment.