Photo/Illutration Naohiro Goto, left, and Ena Takahashi in Tokushima wear the boutique face masks they specially designed to prevent glasses from steaming up. (Tsukasa Fuke)

TOKUSHIMA--Face masks pose an irritating problem for people who wear glasses: breathing in them can fog up their lenses, making it hard to see.

Two local firms think they’ve solved that problem, and their product is already disappearing off the shelves.

Glasses shop Eye Craft teamed with menswear maker Bostonya to jointly develop steam-free eyeglass masks.

Naohiro Goto, president of Eye Craft, asked Ena Takahashi, a tailor at Bostonya, to design the product. After creating more than 20 prototypes, the mask was finally completed.

The mask is sewn so it completely covers the wearer’s nose and has a 1-centimeter gap on the part around the chin, which helps prevent glasses from steaming up. Exhaled air moves out of the mask through the opening, so it does not rise toward the wearer’s eyes.

This feature also allows users to breathe and speak more easily, according to the creators.

The mask is made from polyester cloth, a common material used for dress shirts. That makes it light and less likely to stick to the wearer’s face.

The mask comes in three sizes, and three colors: white, navy blue and striped. It costs 2,200 yen ($20.90). The mask can withstand 20 to 30 rounds of washing.

Although the product is sold at Eye Craft’s online shopping site (https://eyecraft.base.shop/), it is currently in short supply due to a flood of orders.

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