Born 1917 in Fukui as a plating manufacturer, it is reputed as the oldest eyewear brand in Japan and moved close by to Sabae post WWII. In 1981 they become the first in the world to produce eyewear entirely from Titanium, known for its strength and robust nature. The name harks from an old Japanese proverb expounding the virtues of longevity, ' A crane lives a thousand years, a turtle ten thousand years' - Kame means turtle and mannen, ten thousand. Founder Kikujiro Kimura, sought to create a beautiful product that lasted a lifetime and beyond, the frames themselves uphold that ethos and remain free from trends or fashions all these years later.