Buying glasses - frames only - in Tokyo

Hi everybody, new poster here. In a couple months I'll be taking a trip to Tokyo and will be there for about 5 days. I'm thinking I might be interested in buying some glasses there because I have such a hard time finding frames in the US that fit me. I am a very petite woman with a slender face, and every pair of frames I try on at eyeglass stores in the US look huge on me. The ones that come closest to fitting are the children's frames, which don't tend to come in designs I would want as an adult.

I traveled to Japan once a few years ago and liked that the clothing there was more readily available in petite adult sizes than at stores in the US. So I'm thinking maybe I can pick out some nice frames for myself there too. But since my prescription is so strong, I'm not sure they would be able to make the whole set of prescription glasses in the short time I'll be in the country.

I did search this forum for information on buying glasses in Japan, but the threads I found had people buying prescription glasses. But what if I just want to buy the frames, and then get lenses made for them back in the US? Do people do that? My other concern is that I don't speak Japanese, so I don't know if I'd be able to communicate this to the people working in the store.

If anyone has any advice on how this might be accomplished, and specific stores that I should visit for this, I will appreciate it.

I bought glasses in Japan but had lenses fitted at the same time. The person giving me the eye test was very patient and we had stopped by at a quiet afternoon but it helps of course that my wife is Japanese. My wife is petite but her face is rounder and not as slender as you would expect, I wonder if that's true in general. In any case, have a look around, you have nothing to lose :-)

Japanese glass shops are excellent, so lens selection will also end easily.
(except special lens required)
Even if you can not speak Japanese, it will be fine if you speak only in English.
BC in Tokyo many foreigners also livin' as workers and students.

Shops such as large shopping malls where families visit more than large stores are recommended.
This is one of glass shop blog with reports with kids over 1000 posts.
(kids with machine pics are just a "experience".)

If you find a person wearing glasses, ask a question in Japanese.
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すみません、私はアメリカから旅行で日本に来たばかりなのですが、
品揃えの多いメガネ屋さんも探しています。
もし良ければ、都内かこの近くのオススメのメガネ屋さんを教えて貰えませんか？
横幅の狭いフレームを探しているので、こども用の商品も多いと嬉しいです。
Sumimasen, Watashi wa America kara ryokou de Nihon ni kitabakari nano-desuga,
shinazoroe no ooi Megane-ya-san mo sagashite imasu.
Moshi yokereba, osusume no megane-ya-san o ikutsuka oshiete morae-masenka?
Yokohaba no semai flame o sagashite irunode, Kodomo-yoo no shohin mo ooi to ureshii desu.
(copy to below and click speaker icon)
http://voicetext.jp/
(if felt faster change to slower speed/速さ 70 or 80 fr 100)

Excuse me, I just came to Japan on a trip from America,
I am also looking for eyeglasses shops with a lot of samples.
If you do not mind, could you tell me some of the recommended glasses shops in Tokyo or near here?
Also I am looking for narrow frames of width, so I am happy that there are many goods for children.
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If you couldn't speak perfectly, just showing cellpone or tabletPC display or paper as memo.
(Pls don't forget say "Thank you for your help!" = ありがとうございます。とても助かりました。)

日本(Nihon) : Japan
オススメ (osusume)： recomend(s)
メガネ屋/めがね屋/眼鏡屋(Megane-ya) : eyeglass shop (most Japanese calling "Megane-ya-san")
"-san" means one of basic "honorifics", but using widely not only for human.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics
This "-ya" means just a "shop" or "store", many cheaper restaurants also used.
探して-いる/-います。(sagashite-iru/-imasu) : (now) looking for

This is famous Taiwanese YouTuber visited "J!NS", she speaking in Taiwanese(one of Chinese).
https://youtu.be/v6Y5uliCZG8 (1:38 "童鏡" means Children glass)
https://www.jins.com/jp/st/kids/

This is another Taiwanese visited "Zoff".
https://youtu.be/_MjJDTmhSuY

This is J!NS in Taiwan quick report. (Taiwan is not Japan)
https://youtu.be/VO2vWWzTVH0
You can see the a lot of many lens stocks.
Shop staff said "30 min possible" as fastest buy.

This is French YouTuber report speking in French.
https://youtu.be/QOJesazShdQ
She does not live in Tokyo, but she doubted the Japanese boyfriend's answers,
however, she explained how surprised I could easily do eye test
and got best one as good price 7000Y(64USD/today's rate).

This is eye test chart of Japan, just answering/saying directions of open mouth(cutted part).
http://shiryoku-care.com/_src/15004/img20160125211630745799.jpg
This chart is not only in Japan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landolt_C
(Most Japanese don't know this real name "ランドルト環 : Landolt-kan".)
(this "-kan" means "a ring" using another Kanji "輪: wa" mostly )

Anyway, finding not so hard no worry,
but some shop staff said "no recommend doing eye test in later time(after noon)",
bc, if you visited at later, yr eyes already tired will be worse result out,
so they selected a not best lens will be Dizziness, Headache, or Nausea in the daytime no good.

I recommend Zoff, Jins, Megane Ichiba, and Megane Super. And you can totally buy frame only. Just tell them "frame only, no lens" or "just frame, no lens" in English and repeat it with hand gestures, I think they'll understand lol. I don't know how strong your prescription might be but in Tokyo you should be able to get the whole set pretty fast.

ZOFF sells non-lens, frame only glasses(with the same price as lens in glasses).

JINS sells non-lens, frame only glasses with 2,000 yen cheaper than lens in-frame glasses.

I don't think Megane-Ichiba(眼鏡市場) sells frame only glasses.

First of all, I'm sure you're aware that the Japanese in general tend to have larger or at least wider faces than most people in the U.S.

That said, have you tried discussing that with a quality eyeglass shop in your hometown? I'm a (Japanese) resident here in Japan, and I spend my time and money to consult in detail how I need my frames to be, or how I don't know how I need my frames to be. The franchise Paris Miki has never gave up on my requests. They would go back and forth bending and adjusting until they come up with an idea to make my frames and lenses fit comfortably on me. The thing is that they sometimes take weeks to order the right frame for me, and they don't sell frame-only.

But again, you might be able to do the same thing in your country. Have frames bent and adjusted, after making sure that frame is adjustable to fit your needs. By the way, the fancy frames I've found at the discount shops that posters have posted about here are actually too big for my already big enough face. But I just wear them for fun when I want to read something for a short time.