In 1950, Kyoichi Tanaka- the man who
would one day become the chairman of Menicon-
was 20 years old and
employed at a Tamamizuya opticians shop.
It was while working there that he first
heard the wife of a U.S. army officer
refer to “contact lenses”,
something he had never heard before. Intrigued,
he immersed himself in research on contact
lenses, and in 1951 succeeded in developing
the first corneal contact lens in Japan.
A commemorative plate is now displayed
on the window of the Tamamizuya store
in Nishi Naka-ku, Nagoya, proclaiming
the establishment as the “Birthplace
of Contact Lenses” in Japan. Over
the intervening years, Menicon has archived
several milestones.
One of Menicon’s greatest achievements
has been the development of Menicon Z-
unique combination of material chemistry
and manufacturing technology- the world’s
only Hyper DK rigid gas permeable contact
lens approved by the FDA for up to 30
days continuous wear.
