Japanese hair salons today offer the most advanced techniques and the highest levels of service to be found anywhere in the world. Salons throughout Japan offer an unparalleled range of services that go far beyond a simple haircut. Hair salons epitomize the Japanese pursuit of comfort and beauty.

World-Class TechniquesMost Japanese people have black hair that is quite thick and straight. This has challenged hair stylists to come up with creative techniques and innovative hairstyles to help Japanese people look their best. Nakahara Daisuke, salon manager at the Kingdom salon in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, home to many of the city’s top hair salons, describes the background and evolution to these cutting-edge techniques in the following terms.

"The popularity of boutique hairstyling in Japan goes back to the 1970s, but it was in the 1980s and 1990s that Japanese stylists started to develop their own techniques specially adapted to the typical Japanese physique and hair type. The new techniques also made it easier to manage and maintain a hairstyle by controlling the volume of the hair or smoothing out kinks. As a result of this creativity, Japanese hairstylists have twice won the highly prestigious Wella Trend Vision Awards competition that brings together the world’s top hairstylists."

Among the many innovations introduced by Japanese stylists are perms that do not damage the hair and result in much softer hair than conventional solutions. Japanese perm treatments have become highly popular overseas, including a variety of techniques for “straight perms” that can smooth out kinks in a person’s hair. Many foreign hairstylists have traveled to Japan to master these techniques.

The widespread popularity of celebrity hairstylists offering sophisticated haircutting techniques dates back to a TV show that aired between 1999 and 2000 called “Scissors League,” which featured some of Tokyo’s top hairstylists battling it out for supremacy. Shortly after appearing on the show, one famous hair salon sold 10,000 tickets for a special event, despite astronomically high prices. This massive popularity gave a further boost to the advanced techniques and meticulous service found at hair salons today.

Japan’s Unmatched Salon ServiceCustomers at Japanese hair salons can expect not only an outstanding haircut but also the sort of meticulous service for which Japan is famous. In a Japanese salon, customers are pampered from the moment they walk through the door. A towel is wrapped carefully around the customer’s neck before draping them in a gown to ensure that not even a single hair gets onto the customer’s clothes. At the shampooing basin, a soothing hot towel is wrapped around the customer’s neck and the hair is gently shampooed and rinsed. Soft cloth blindfolds are used to ensure privacy. Customers are then treated to a shoulder rubdown and a relaxing, invigorating head massage. Tea is served, along with a selection of the latest magazines.

Japanese hair salons also keep meticulous records on their customers, building up a detailed record of each customer’s hair type, style preferences, and coloring. 

A new range of services has become popular in recent years. Many salons today offer relaxing “head spa” treatments, pore-cleansing steam baths, and a full menu of cosmetics options. Many cater to people’s busy schedules by offering childcare facilities and staying open late.

It is this unique combination of innovative techniques, soothing treatments, and superlative service that has made Japanese hair salons the finest in the world. (March 2011)