003SHIRANUI
A mirage of light and color that appears and disappears.

CONCEPT

Imagine a mythical mirage that appears in the ocean, bobbing and fading in the horizon. Our ancestors called this SHIRANUI, as the evading presence keeps its distance no matter how hard you try to get closer to it.
It could appear out of nowhere, ever fading, as it gradually starts to emanate brightness.
It is that mystic feel of the unreachable SHIRANUI in the distance.
Then imagine the presence of a clear plastic softly transforming itself, changing color in pale shades as it takes on the surrounding light. This is the ambience you may feel.

<Material>

MR™ Series (Ophthalmic Lens Material)

MR™ series are the Mitsui Chemicals world's first, highest quality materials for ophthalmic lens.
Excellent optical properties such as transparency and high refractive indexes, lighter weights, and durability, have led Mitsui Chemicals to claim the world's number one share in lens material for eyeglasses.
Superior properties bring innovations in to design of eyeglasses such as rimless glasses.
Furthermore, these combine with dye technology bring innovations in to function of eyeglasses such as specific wavelength light cutting lenses and photochromic lenses.

<Horizons of Material>

  • ● Mitsui Chemicals offers excellent lens materials with performance-driven effectiveness in cutting specific wavelengths, photochromic protection, and other state-of-the-art methods to enhance vision.
  • ● Capitalizing on this unique technology, MOLp™ applied it to stools. One of the stools, the “fluorescent dye” version has a floating motif which appears when subjected to ultraviolet light. The other stool, the “photochromic” version, slowly changes color under sunlight.
  • ● MOLp™ succeeded in large-scale polymerization.
  • ● MOLp™ will expand the horizons of “monozukuri” through new use of dye technology and new applications for MR™ Series.

Reference

REVERSI

REVERSI was created using technologies cultivated with opthalmic lens materials that block specific wavelengths. It was designed to give viewers a more direct experience of their characteristics. When you turn over a piece that shines blue, it suddenly turns red. Why not enjoy this surprise?

Creative Partner

Manabu Tago
President, Art Director and Designer, MTDO

Manabu Tago is currently involved in providing comprehensive design from conception to manufacture in a diverse range of industries as well as creating new values for society. Also he teachs at Keio University, Tokyo Zokei University, Tokyo University of the Arts, and Kumamoto University.

Japanese chemical companies, like Mitsui Chemicals, have histories that span over a century. They own a significant share of the commercial material that is widely used around the world. Yet, this fact is not widely known. Researchers need to be more proactive in increasing possibilities to realize their full potential and make breakthroughs to higher dimensions.
That is the aim of MOLp™.
When considering design from the aspect of “lifestyle”, I always wanted to approach it from the standpoint of “material”. I am confident that creative development not relying on market trends will lead the way to new discoveries that will change the future.