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Maebashi Redesign Project

Just as corporate growth is committed to society, the CEO is committed to society as an individual.

As part of the Maebashi City Revitalization Project, a community contribution activity in Maebashi, the Tanaka Hitoshi Foundation, of which JINS’s CEO Hitoshi Tanaka is a representative director, revitalized a building as the “Shiroiya Hotel.” It underwent a major renovation and construction of a new wing over a period of about five years and opened for business in December 2020. The Tanaka Hitoshi Foundation was established in 2014 by Hitoshi Tanaka, a native of Maebashi, and has been involved in community contribution activities in Maebashi, not only as an organization but also as an individual.

Gunma Innovation Award Sponsorship

To support and promote startups in Gunma – where JINS was also founded – JINS has supported the Gunma Innovation Award since 2013 together with local newspaper publishers and companies.

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Investment into Projects to Revitalize Maebashi

To promote regional development in the city of Maebashi, JINS established the Taiyo no Kai with companies that operate from or have their headquarters based in Maebashi. Every year, one percent of net income (minimum ¥1 million) is invested into projects to revitalize Maebashi.

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Elimination of Regional Differences in Base Hourly Wages of Associate and Part-Time Employees

JINS changed the base hourly wages*2 of associate*1 and part-time employees in the 47 prefectures of Japan to equal the standard level of Tokyo in September 2022. The regions with the greatest rise in salary have a salary raise percentage of over 30%. We aim to revitalize the various regions throughout Japan through this change by rectifying income differences between regions and contributing to local economies by increasing the population of people working and living life to the fullest in their hometown, favorite region, or otherwise preferred location, with a salary that is at the standard level in Tokyo.

*1: An associate employee is employees with a fixed term of six months or no fixed term of employment contract.
*2: The base hourly wage is the minimum hourly wage for all associate and part-time employees of the Company. The actual amount paid is determined by adding allowances, etc., based on the employees’ skills.

Stores Opened in All 47 Prefectures of Japan

Since entering the eyewear business in 2001 with the opening of its first store in Tenjin, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, JINS has continued to open stores to deliver JINS products nationwide, and with the opening of the first store in Saga Prefecture in 2021, JINS products and services are now available in all prefectures in Japan. We will continue to contribute to local communities through our business.

Community Symbosis Business Department Established

In September 2021, we established the “Community Symbosis Business Department” with the aim of confronting issues faced by local communities as a private company and growing together with them. Three sections were established in the Department: the norma Business Office, the Food Business Group, and the Event Management Group. The norma Business Office supports the operation of JINS norma CO., LTD., a special subsidiary of JINS that is undertaking a new agricultural management system in Gunma Prefecture where non-disabled and people with disabilities team up to farm together. This project aims not only to support the social independence of people with disabilities, but also to reduce farmlands left unused due to the labor shortage. The Food Business Group plans and operates the new bakery cafe brand “EVERYPAN” located in the “JINS PARK” in Maebashi, Gunma. The Event Management Group interacts with local residents and plans and operates events in collaboration with creators active in the community.

Contributing to Local Agriculture through JINS norma

JINS norma CO., LTD. is undertaking a new agricultural management system in Gunma Prefecture where normal and disabled people team up to farm together. This project aims to help the disabled gain farming experience and become more independent in society. It also aims to reduce farmlands left unused due to the labor shortage to contribute to local agriculture.

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Design of Fixtures, Interiors, and Promotional Materials by Local Artists and Architects

JINS proactively uses local artists and architects according to the region where the store is located. For example, JINS Hiroshima Hondori, a large-scale store in the Chugoku region, was designed by Masafumi Shimatani, a Hiroshima-born architect, to be reminiscent of the Seto Inland Sea, making it easy for people with children to shop and a place for local communication.

Stores that Coexist with Local Communities

JINS PARK, opened in April 2021 in Maebashi, Gunma, where JINS was founded, is a new facility that aims to become a hub for local communities
JINS PARK was designed by architect Yuko Nagayama. The eyewear brand “JINS” and the bakery cafe “EVERYPAN,” which is newly developed as a restaurant business, are both located inside the facility.
This new store format aims to realize the coexistence of JINS with the local community by providing an outdoor plaza that anyone can use freely, as well as spacious spaces such as a large staircase and a rooftop terrace inside the facility to create a place for new interaction in the community. In the future, we plan to rent out spaces such as the outdoor plaza with a lawn, not only for JINS-sponsored events but also for local residents to hold workshops and events, thereby aiming to create a place to create new interaction and coexist with the community.

JINS AEON MALL Okazaki (Aichi Prefecture) aims not only to be a place to sell eyeglasses but also a place to create a local community where customers can make new discoveries and connect with other people every time they visit.
It was designed by architect Ryuji Nakamura based on the concept of an “unfinished place.” In the space where glasses, books, and a community space coexist, about 550 wooden boxes made of thinned wood from local Okazaki and Mikawa areas are installed, and they transform into shelves to display glasses, shelves to store books, and benches for customers to relax.
There is also a library with about 1,500 books selected by book director Yoshitaka Haba, offering not only eyeglasses but also the fun and relaxation of finding your favorite book to the local residents.

“JINS Maebashi Kojimata” was opened in January 2022 with the aim of becoming a pioneer in promoting sustainability by being environmentally conscious and building new relationships with the local community. The store’s interior design was commissioned to artist Kenichi Obana, a native of Gunma Prefecture who has created works such as “Kaze Otoko (風男)” inspired by a strong, dry wind of Gunma (known as the Jyoshu Kara Kaze). The area where the store is located is a place where one can truly feel the Jyoshu Kara Kaze. Through the experience of looking at the sculpture “Kaze Otoko” at the entrance and the drawing of “Kaze Otoko” on the wall inside the store, we created a space where local residents can feel the characteristics of Maebashi.

JINS GO: A New Service Bringing JINS to Customers with a Mobile Eyeglasses Shop

In January 2023, we launched a new service in which JINS visits customers in a special vehicle, equipped with a wheelchair elevator, which has been renovated to provide all basic JINS services, such as eye exams, vision assistance, and lens processing, in order to provide JINS products and services to people who have no JINS store nearby or who are unable to visit the store due to advanced age or illness.
We believe we will be able to utilize JINS GO to support disaster-stricken areas in times of emergency, and in the future, we will work to build new relationships with local communities by producing more of these vehicles and expanding their coverage areas.
If you are affiliated with an institution, organization, or local government and would like to request a visit, please contact us via the inquiry form on the official JINS GO website.

For details, click here