Tendo City, Yamagata is a one-hour flight north from Tokyo’s  Haneda Airport. The mountainous area is known for its hot springs, ramen and soba noodles, and factories that make most of Japan’s Shogi (chess) sets. We are here to visit a different kind of factory: Panasonic’s Yamagata Lens Factory. A year earlier, Panasonic’s principal  lens designer Mr. Kazutake Boku had suggested a visit to their optical factory. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever written about before,” he said. So here we are. read more…