About brand

Sabae, a city in Japan’s Fukui Prefecture, is not only the origin of Minamoto frames, but also the origin of the Japanese eyewear industry. However, the area is not only known for the manufacture of eyeglasses, but is also home to other highly skilled crafts such as lacquerware and washi paper.

CHARMANT’s founder, Kaoru Horikawa, has his own private collection of vintage eyewear that served as inspiration for the development of the Minamoto brand. Another building block of the design language is the Japanese philosophy of Zen, which means minimalism and focus on the essentials. This is how Minamoto’s unique design language was created, influenced by its origins, with unsurpassed attention to detail. Great emphasis was placed on authenticity and quality in the choice of materials. That is why Minamoto glasses are made exclusively from Japanese titanium, the highest quality that exists on the market. The material is moreover firmly linked to its own history, as CHARMANT was one of the first companies in the world to use titanium for the by French – and to this day is unreservedly enthusiastic about its material properties.

Special glasses need a special case. That’s why each Minamoto rim comes with a sleeve made from handmade washi paper from Fukui Prefecture. Another original in the Minamoto story.

The logo is also a symbol of Japanese craft. The handiwork of the master calligrapher working for CHARMANT is another sign of Japanese precision and quality. And it shows that Minamoto is based on a unique, deep origin.