After several days in Tokyo and meeting two clients who came to see me at the pop-up I arranged, I experienced a strong sense of satisfaction.
It was rewarding to see people making the effort to come and explore some vintage frames from my collection, and even closing a small deal with them.
I was genuinely excited to witness, for the first time, the benefits of my efforts in traveling the world and connecting with people who appreciate my work.
The moment to move forward has come, and I'm now beginning the second half of the journey by heading to Fukui, the sunglasses city, known for its numerous factories and manufacturers of high-quality Japanese sunglasses.
Sabae is the nearest city to Fukui, and I traveled by train for four and a half hours from Tokyo to Fukui.
The Shinkansen, known as the fastest train in the world, allowed me to cover a great distance at incredible speed.
I was impressed by the train's speed and stability, it was indeed a remarkable experience.
Upon arriving at Fukui station, I needed to transfer to a train heading to Sabae, where my hotel was located.
Fukui was bustling with people, and although it seemed like a small town, it was full of life.
However, when I reached Sabae, it felt like a ghost town.
The overwhelming quietness surrounding the place and the beautiful, traditional Japanese houses built there left a strong impression on me.
It was so quiet and empty that I felt like someone was following me, and I started to feel a bit paranoid, looking all around, backwards and sideways.
I'm typically quite courageous, but I started to feel a little frightened, so I picked up my pace to reach the hotel quickly, LOL.
Upon arriving at the hotel, it was still too early to check in, so I arranged a few items such as money, a book to read, and some other small things.
I left my bag at the reception and headed back out to the street to catch a ghost.
One of the main reasons for my visit to Sabae, in addition to touring factories and manufacturers, was the Megane Museum of Glasses.
I was thrilled to visit this location because it features a gallery showcasing a workshop for handmade sunglasses.
As I walked to the museum, brimming with excitement and listening to some great Tupac Shakur hip-hop tracks, I took a quick look around upon arrival.
They had a lovely shop selling their own products and glasses.
The museum itself housed a rich collection of glasses from various eras, along with excellent explanations and many old-school machines used in the past to build and produce glasses.
I spent at least an hour there, immersed in learning about the history and evolution of glasses.
It truly warmed my heart, I felt like nothing could be better than this.
This is my purpose, my love, my passion, and I couldn't stop absorbing everything around me.
It was a very unique and exciting experience that provided me with a lot of knowledge and perspective on the history of glasses.
When I went upstairs to the handmade gallery workshop, I met Ken.
We started using pantomime to communicate since Ken clearly wasn't fluent in English.
He pointed at the acetate earpiece material, and I realized I needed to choose a color.
They had a wide variety of colors available.
He also suggested that I select a front frame acetate piece, so I carefully chose one that would complement the earpiece colors appropriately.
Than the drama began, Ken tried to explain to me that there was no availability for the same day and that I needed to return in two or three days.
I started to cry because I only had three days in total for my entire stay there.
They saw how upset I was and then called the museum manager.
He asked me some questions and could see from my expression that creating glasses and frames was my lifelong dream.
He immediately understood me, and since he spoke English perfectly, I was able to address the issue with him.
He then spoke to the team and granted me permission to work on my piece the next day.
I cried tears of joy and was so happy that I started to jump.
People thought I was a bit crazy because it's just glasses, and they do this every day in their lives, but for me, it was a unique experience.
If I had permission to live there and do it, I would definitely move to Sabae for at least two or three years to make glasses even though its a ghost town. :D
My nerves were calmed as I knew my place was assured, so I had nothing else to do but to eat something, stick to the plan, and get in touch with some CEOs and company owners of the factories and manufacturers with whom I had positive email conversations during my research days back home.
I reached out to several people via texts and calls, arranged meetings and scheduled three meetings for the following two days.
This was because I needed to go to the handmade workshop the next day to work on my very first piece.
Ken mentioned it would take an entire day and advised against making other plans for that day, and I followed his advice because I'm a great listener.
The following day, I arrived at the handmade workshop early in the morning.
It felt like going to work, just as I do back home, but this time it had a purpose.
Upon arriving at the museum that morning, I went upstairs and met Ken.
I greeted him with a good morning, and then he began discussing the schedule for the day.
He had a board displaying the timeline of our tasks, and after a brief pantomime explanation, we began working.
I was extremely excited and focused.
Initially, I began cutting the front frame acetate piece to make the holes for the glasses lenses using a small saw. This task alone took about an hour.
Then I started polishing the holes I created using two different polishing papers, which took about 30 minutes.
Afterward, I started trimming the exterior of the frame after reshaping it by modifying the sketch on the acetate piece.
This process, which included polishing the frame's exterior in a similar fashion, took about an hour and a half.
After spending 3 hours on the front frame, I realized that the corners weren't perfectly identical.
However, I was satisfied with the outcome because it was my first attempt at making handmade glasses, so I was quite pleased with the result.
Ken placed the front frame piece into a heavy metallic machine designed to slightly curve it.
This machine has a designated spot for the front frame, where it is heated and rests on the acetate for a few minutes.
The weight and heat work together to transform it into a curved frame.
While the machine was working on the frame, I began crafting the beautiful earpieces I had chosen to create.
I started by cutting and polishing them, which took about 2 hours.
Then, we spent around 30 minutes working on the nose pads, which we glued onto the front frames at the nose section.
When our time was up, I was very satisfied and had to leave the glasses at the museum for them to refine the final touches and send them to me at home when they were completely ready.
While working on the glasses, I was communicating with Ken about important matters using Google Translate.
I explained to him that one of my reasons for visiting Fukui and Sabae was to create my own brand of glasses and frames.
He then mentioned that he knew a great person he thought I would like and shared that he surfs and skates, as I had also told Ken about my interests.
After we finished with the glasses, I drove with him to his friend's place.
It was my first time driving a private car in Japan, where everything is on the opposite side from what I'm used to, and it was a bit confusing.
However, as long as Ken was behind the wheel, I felt fine.
Upon our arrival, I stepped into an area with a small DIY skate pool and immediately felt at home, it was a sign from God that I was where I belonged, being a skateboarder.
Then I met Narito, who welcomed me into his personal gallery, which I would describe as "the spiritual heaven for handmade glasses".
I was astonished, every piece that Narito worked on was crafted by hand.
There are a few pieces that have never been seen before.
The creativity, the ideas, and the level of craftsmanship are extraordinary.
I was so captivated that I felt like a little child, holding everything together and trying to determine which one was the best.
I couldn't stop examining and exploring the level of detail that someone could incorporate into a pair of glasses frames.
Then I sat down and enjoyed a great Japanese coffee with Narito.
We discussed various topics, and I began explaining my ideas about creating my brand.
I believed that God led me to meet him initially so I could select him for the job before my meetings with various manufacturers and factories the following day.
God literally placed me in his hands before I approached others.
This time, He connected me with someone I can truly relate to and appreciate, as Narito is not focused on money but on satisfying my needs and producing according to my requirements.
After discussing and agreeing on many things, he drove me back to the hotel, and we scheduled a meeting for the next night to go to a restaurant.
He wanted to introduce me to a great friend of his who speaks fluent English. I was surprised because, during my time there, only Rena and Rachel (the photographer) had communicated fluently in English.
Since I had arranged a few meetings, I wanted to go anyway to see how factories work on their glasses and closely observe the process.
So, the next day, I visited and checked out three factories and manufacturers of glasses.
I attended three different meetings where everyone was incredibly polite and nice.
I couldn't say anything but thank them so much for taking care of me and moving me from factory to factory, despite the rainy and empty surroundings.
They really took care of me, and even though they are in competition with each other, their competition is healthy and full of respect for one another.
After being impressed by the various processes of making glass and learning a lot, evening arrived, and it was time to meet Narito and a new friend.
I went to the gallery, and Narito was there with K.
It was very pleasant to converse with someone fluent in English.
K helped translate many things to Narito, especially the matters that had significantly affected my life.
I told how the community & family around me tried to destroy my life because of some obsessed, immature racist women who consistently lied and attempted to defame and damage my reputation.
There was a moment I will never forget when, during our conversation, Narito mentioned the word KARMA. Everything clicked into place—the good karma I am experiencing and the bad karma faced by those who believed the lies and acted against me.
I suddenly realized once more how God is above everything, and as long as I continue on my path, I will receive the right results, the right karma, and be on the right side of God.
We went to a local restaurant to celebrate our connection, where we indulged in so much food and so many great drinks that I don't even know where to begin.
However, I clearly remember laughing and feeling happier than ever before, and at that moment, God came to mind, reminding me of my abilities as a human, a creator, and a dreamer.
Instantly, all my power returned to me.
After feeling down for a long time, I began to feel and recognize my true strength, which made me appreciate myself and my journey even more now, thanks to God.
The following day, I purchased a nice watch for my birthday, wanting to carry a piece of energy from Sabae with me.
I am thankful to K for giving me a ride in his truck to the station where I caught the shinkansen train back to Tokyo.
Upon arriving in Tokyo, I skated for a bit and met skaters from various parts of the world, forming friendships with them.
In the end, I made my way to the airport and flew back home, bringing with me experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
Most importantly, my business objective was achieved flawlessly, and I gathered all the information necessary to launch my own sunglasses brand, OJ EYEWEAR.
Stay tuned, as I'm about to release some high-quality Japanese handmade collections that will endure over time.
Happiness & satisfaction
The Original Juice.
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