The best: Take the word of a medical insider ! That could be the end of the review but Victor Arai deserves a little more. To start, Kim his receptionist is very kind! That helps when calling. Dr Arai himself is kind, super meticulous and takes his time. After more than 50 years of training, he knows his stuff and one leaves with a perfect eye exam! I hope he will never retire! read more

Dr. Arai is friendly, very knowledgeable, and very thorough. Excellent care in a classic Pasadena location. Staff is also friendly and helpful. read more

Amazing patient care and awesome service. Kim the receptionist was extremely helpful and kind. I didn't know insurance name and company, she took the time to look it up for me. Dr. Arai provided great service and was very kind! 10/10 experience read more

Unprofessional office personnel. It would be wise to hire people who don't ridicule patients.

Can't say enough good things about Dr. Arai! Spent about 1 1/2 hours on the first visit. He did all the tests and examinations himself. Very meticulous in adjusting the glasses when they came in. I enjoyed just talking to him - very down to earth and we laughed a lot. All around positive experience. read more

I visited Dr. Arai for the first time last November. He provided excellent and thorough service, and took time to answer all my questions. Next time I need an eye exam, I will pay him a return visit. In late December I received a post card alerting me to his new location at: 960 East Green Street, #268. read more

Everything about Dr Arai is 5 stars. His warmth, his knowledge, his office, his patience and kindness.. all of it. Scheduling was a breeze, he was so incredibly patient and friendly during the appointment. Sometimes in medical settings, it can feel like there is a robot on the other side.. not with Dr Arai, he was personable and overall just absolutely lovely to be around. What a great experience. 10/10 recommend. read more

Dr. Arai has been our family optometrist for over a decade. He's seen our kids since they were in elementary school. He's consistently excellent & takes his time to get it right. I've also referred so very many happy patients to him over this past decade. Cheers! DocMikeChiro read more

L O V E !!!! It seems that the way western medicine is practiced these days, leaves a lot of us exhausted, angry, broke, what have you from a largely rude, greedy and uncaring medical industry. I am so happy to report, this is one place you will not experience that! I have been seeing Dr Arai (off and on due to a few moves I have had - mostly on) for 14 years now. I discovered him after another place in Pasadena tried to pull a fast one on me for cost related to an eye infection and I needed to see someone quickly so I called my insurance and was happy to discover he was right down the street. Dr Arai is a very, very professional eye doctor that reminds me more of that "old school family doctor" approach to his patients. By that I mean, he remembers you, remembers without looking at his files what your ailments are (as I ended up with MS about 6 years into my care with him and my optic nerve requires extra check up), he is incredibly kind and has a jovial almost Papa Arai like demeanor. I cannot emphasize the kindness enough. I actually really look forward to going to see him every year so much so I now travel 3 hours to my appointments as I am no longer local. The receptionist or office manager, unsure of her title, is also a winner! She is also incredibly friendly, on top of her game with record keeping, remembering patients, and everything else you would expect from a good medical facility. I had to go to a different eye doctor this year due to c-19 and inability to travel to Dr Arai when my RX was expiring. I was quickly reminding of why I never want another eye doctor besides Dr Arai. Next round of eye check ups, I will be sure to be prepared to make the trip again and plan ahead. Please don't expect a fancy, flashy office/store like most vision places are these days, which I find unfortunate. Most vision places are not only flashy but the entire experience is not quite about your eye health/vision but are set up as platform to push expensive eye products at the public. Such facilities are complete with "used car salesman" like sales associates that are very pushy and rude when you decline their attempts to extract more money out of you. Well, you will not get that at Dr Arai's! Just a good old, wholesome, caring, kind hearted man that operates with integrity, good ethics and love for humans. I cannot recommend Dr Arai enough. I am only sorry I didn't write this review years ago. Thank you to the good doctor and his office manager so much for everything over the years! Love you both so much! read more

Dr. Arai is attentive. Very thorough. We really like this doctor. We strongly recommend him. Small clinic, we don't have to wait much to be seen. Very good with appointments. Parking is great. They validate the parking pass. read more

Victor E Arai, OD - Optometrists Near Me - Pasadena, California

Dr. Arai has always been very thorough and communicative with our family optometry needs. His patience in explaining the technical process alongside explaining good habits have helped our teenagers be more aware as well. His new office location on Green street has easier parking, which is always nice. read more

I also found Dr. Arai through my insurance's provider network. I read reviews on Yelp about the doctors in my area and decided to call to make an appointment. His staff were friendly and easy to work with on the phone and in person. They helped me look up my insurance plan which was difficult in my portal. Dr. Arai is knowledgeable and kind. I've never had so much fun during an eye exam. I learned about my tear reservoirs + dry eyes. He also noticed my contacts moved around a lot and recommended a better fit. We discussed genetic conditions and eye vitamins. I highly recommend and look forward to my next visit. read more

Dr. Arai is fantastic! My mom started going to him since she got contacts (back when they were glass!) and I've been going to him since I was in 6th grade (unfortunately when I got glasses). He is so incredible. Kind, intelligent, very attentive. A few years ago I had fallen asleep with my contacts on (in another country) and woke up maybe 2 hours later with a terrible eye infection. Since then that eye has always been sensitive and after a while I had vein growth that seemed to be permanent come in (typically it is). My right eye always looked red--sort of a red strip on the side. I talked to him about it last year in our visit because it had worsened and seemed to not ever go away and we spent over an hour trying on different types of contacts, talking about possible irritants, etc. He told me about these silicon contacts he researched in college and thought just maybe they could help. Within a month the redness went away (mind you I tried to go like over a month straight of no contacts hoping that would help, but it did not---even glasses free). A year later, the redness has not come back, the veins have shrunk and I AM SO HAPPY!!!! He is the best and is my eye doctor for life. read more

Came here because of the great reviews I read and I'm happy to be able to add my own as well. Dr. Arai is awesome, so thorough and really does care. Not often that you find a gem like him. His front desk personnel were very kind and courteous. If you're looking for an optometrist, look no further and pay him a visit. read more

First saw Dr Arai way back in 2006 then got transfered because of work to Woodland Hills, wasn't able to see Dr Arai for that past 7yrs and I don't know why. Just finished my exam today and I'm glad I rediscovered him. Besides the exam I think its his awsome personality, non rushing, not trying to upsell you on all kinds of things like at Linden up the street. He told me that he'll just order enough contracts that VSP will cover and the rest I can buy online, he even gave me a website the he recommends. He's not just trying to milk you for more money like most optomitrist that I've seen (I've been to at least 6 different optomitrist) over the past 7yrs. Its a small office but you will be seen at your scheduled appointment time, unlike Linden. Left the office with a warm smile and a friendly handshack. read more

Best in business, really can't see what else to say- kindest person, great professional, vast experience; pays excessive attention to detail5, totally trustworthy! Blessing is to have him continue working instead of retirement read more

Great experience! Dr. Arai provides excellent care. He clearly answered my questions and I felt like I was in good hands. Happy to have found his office! read more

I found this doctor through my network and decided to try him out for the first time. The office is in a very nice neighborhood and it's easy to find. It's a very petite place, one doctor with one receptionist. So I went there and filled out my information paper, then the doctor came and took me to the office. He checked my eyes throughly and was very patient with me. I got quite a lot of questions and he answered them all, very friendly. His has all his tools and everything piled up neatly in the room. Also, he is very knowledgeable and makes me feel really good and relaxed. He explained everything to me and in the end gave me a small bottle of the eye drop to use. I can't believe I found such a great eye doctor. read more

Wonderful man! Very small office just he and the lovely lady at the front desk. I highly recommend

I have been to my fair share of eye doctors, and Dr. Arai is one of the best. He has a very small office, but he takes his time with his patients. I feel listened to and cared for when I visit him, which is all you can ask for in a doc. read more

We love Dr. Arai!! After years of enduring long wait times and so so service at Linden Optometry, the past several years with Dr Arai has been a breath of fresh air! He really takes his time with you, he's affable and funny, and he really does know his craft. I would see him only once a year, but every time I see him, he remembers everything about my last visit, including the name of my husband and daughters (who are also patients of his). This astounds me as it very rare to get such feeling of warmth nowadays. We are people to him, with families, not just a pay check. Whenever I need to re-order boxes of contacts, I would just call him and he'd ship it right out. No need to pay right away. He will just send you an invoice and he's very laid back about it. In return, I make sure to pay him right away. He deserves it!! We love you, Dr. Arai!! read more

As all the reviews are saying Dr. Arai is a wonderful doctor. I arrived early to my appointment and he took me right in. Kim at the front desk was very kind and took me through the simple steps for a first timer. The office is small but perfect. Dr. Arai was so kind, so attentive, so thorough. I have never had an eye doctor do so many tests, it was an eye workout! He has all the necessary equipment, and you can tell he knows his stuff, a very scientific mind. He explained everything to me in a very simple and honest way. I felt like I was speaking to an old friend, he is very personable and friendly. I highly recommend him to everyone! read more

Dr. Arai was very friendly and pointed out things with my eyes and vision that no other doctor has taken the time to explain or ask me about before. A much better experience than the typical eye care chains I've visited in the past! read more

Still the best optometrist that I know, gets my prescription very accurate giving my eyes what they need.

Dr. Arai is wonderful! He will find the correct prescription and fit for your eyes, even if it takes him a little longer. He is experienced and knowledgeable in his field, and very friendly. I highly recommend him for your eye care needs. read more

Excellent care from Dr. Arai. No waiting, this is a small private office, so you are not at some clinic with a ton of people waiting in line. You get personalized care and attention. Dr. Arai takes time to do a full comprehensive exam and explains everything in detail. Would recommend highly to anyone who wants a great optometrist. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Arai for years. He takes his time with exams and is very personable. I went to Dr. Arai after seeing other optometrists because after visits with them, my vision still was not as clear as it could be. Dr. Arai is so thorough that he discovered the reason I was not seeing as clearly as I could - it was the need for prisms in my lenses. I am so delighted with the result. No other optometrist I had seen demonstrated the scientific know-how that Dr. Arai has for creating proper lenses. Dr. Arai is the one to see. Literally. read more

The whole family goes to see Dr. Arai to have our eyes examined. He takes his time and answers all of our questions and never rushes with our exams. I think you'll be happy with him. He truly enjoys his work. read more

I have been going to Dr. Arai for a little over a year now. He is an excellent doctor, very friendly, and genuinely values his patients. Even the fee he charges is very modest. He is probably the most friendliest eye doctor I have ever been to. He deserves more than 5 stars! read more

Dr Arai is not the place to go if you want to be bombarded with ads for lash lengtheners and cosmetic surgery. It is the place to go for a thorough, gentle exam with a doctor who answers all your questions. Dr. Arai performs the entire exam himself. He is kind and patient, and he goes out of his way to research every possible new technique or device that may help one of his patients. He also really understands insurance and helps his patients take full advantage of the their benefits. I have been going to him for over 10 years, even though he's now an hour's drive away. I will continue to do so until the (hopefully far off day) that he retires. read more

I've been a patient for at least 30 years! He's honest, helpful, thorough. listens well, and interesting to talk with. Appointments are usually available within a few days. He's the best! read more

Great Eye doctor! After my first appointmnet I noticed the difference. He is not rushing like other placles, checks very carefully taking the time and using varios diagnosys machines, giving great advises and explains everything very clearly. I recommend this eye doctor to any one. read more

Dr. Arai is both kind and patient. No question is ever silly, or unimportant. Dr. Arai answers every question with a gentle and informative answer. His devotion to his practice is evident, and his patrons appreciate his knowledge and humor. He stays up to date on the latest development in the medical field and brings new technology to his office practice. He worked patiently with me to get to a "vision solution" that works for my lifestyle. Don't overlook his selection of eyewear, he even stays up on the very latest fashion trends. read more