Students at Joshi Seigakuin school are seen wearing sunglasses in Tokyo’s Kita Ward, Oct. 27, 2025. (Mainichi/Emi Naito)
TOKYO — Joshi Seigakuin Junior & Senior High School in Tokyo now lets students wear sunglasses to protect their eyes. This is not common in Japan, but the school wants to help students stay healthy.
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The school worked with eyewear brand Zoff. Students chose colors and designs for seven pairs of school sunglasses, including gray and pink lenses. Now, students can wear sunglasses outside, including when going to and from school.
Zoff says the World Health Organization stated that more than half of a person’s UV exposure happens before age 18. In Japan, less than 20% of people wear sunglasses to block UV rays. Since 2023, Zoff has visited schools to teach about eye health.
This summer, 69 students and teachers at Joshi Seigakuin tried wearing sunglasses. Many liked it. One student said, “My eyes used to get red and sore after being outside for a long time, but wearing sunglasses solved that.” Because of this, the school decided to let all students wear sunglasses. Principal Mamoru Ando said, “It’s important for the school to protect the children’s health,” and, “We overlooked the harmful effects of UV rays on the eyes.”
Other schools, like Urawa Gakuin High School’s tennis club, are also starting to use sunglasses. Zoff hopes more schools will do the same.
(Japanese original by Reina Kamoda, Business News Department)
Vocabulary:
sunglasses: glasses that protect your eyes from the sun
UV rays: invisible light from the sun that can hurt your eyes
exposure: being in contact with something
principal: the leader of a school
AloJapan.com