Swans (eyewear)

Swans (スワンズ, Suwanzu) is the brandname of the Japanese eyewear manufacturer Yamamoto Kogaku Co., Ltd. (山本光学株式会社, Yamamoto Kōgaku Kabushiki-gaisha) located in Osaka, Japan.

Swans
Swans brand logo
Product typeEyewear
OwnerYamamoto Kogaku, Co., Ltd.
CountryJapan
Introduced(1971 (1971))
MarketsWorldwide
TaglineProtecting for You
WebsiteOfficial website
Yamamoto Kogaku, Co., Ltd.
Native name
山本光学株式会社
TypePrivate KK
IndustryApparel
Founded(1911 (1911))
FounderHaruji Yamamoto
Headquarters
Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture, 577-0056
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Tamenobu Yamamoto
(Chairman and CEO)
Naoyuki Yamamoto
(President and COO)
Products
  • Sporting and protective eyewear
  • Sunglasses
  • Optical devices
  • Motorcycle helmets
WebsiteOfficial website
Footnotes / references
[1]

Founded in 1911, the company produces and sells optical lenses, sunglasses, goggles, as well as safety glasses. The sports eyewear brand Swans includes sunglasses, ski and snowboard goggles, swimming goggles, as well as helmets.[1]

The company was founded by Haruji Yamamoto, as Yamamoto Optical Lens Factory, in Osaka. The factory moved to Higashiōsaka in 1935, where the company's current headquarters are. In that same year started the production of lenses and eyewear for protection against dust. Twenty years later the company name changed to Yamamoto Bojin Megane and started the production of eyewear frames by plastic molding, a first in Japan.[2] In 1977 the company became as an official ski equipment supplier to the United States Ski Team[2][3] and in 1980 the company's took its current name.

In October 2014, the Toshiba Glass, a pair of optical head-mounted display-like glasses, which was jointly created by Yamamoto Kogaku and Toshiba, was unveiled at CEATEC 2014.[4]

Swans was the official supplier of the World Para Swimming Championships from 2017 to 2019.[5]

In 2021, the table tennis player Jun Mizutani wore indoor competition glasses during the Olympics, a first in this competition, with glasses that were custom-designed by Swans for the table tennis player.[6]

References
  1. "Company Profile". Yamamoto Kogaku. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  2. "About Swans - Company Milestones". Yamamoto Kogaku. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  3. Behind the Winners: A Network of Individual Contributors. October 1985. p. 48. ISSN 0037-6264. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. Nagata, Kazuaki (October 9, 2014). "Toshiba Glass sets sights on less obtrusive wearable tech". The Japan times. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  5. "World Para Swimming announces SWANS as Official Supplier". International Paralympic Committee. September 1, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  6. "What's the tech behind table tennis gold-medal winner Mizutani's indoor eyewear?". Mainichi Daily News. July 27, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
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