Hair salons in Japan boast excellent quality and services, but the language barrier might prevent you from getting exactly what you want. With these bilingual salons and stylists, you can forget about such worry and go in for the cut you ask for. Check out these English-friendly hair salons in Tokyo.
Stylish Barber Shops
Looking for a fresh, clean male haircut might be difficult for expats in Tokyo due to the difference in popular hair trends. While a perm is all the hype these days for anyone, men's hair styles in Japan tend to lean towards mid-length to longer. Fringes are quite popular, and with hair stylists not familiarized with the style popular overseas, the result might not be exactly what you ask for.
In such cases, check out Franks’s Barbe(e)r The Stand, a new branch opened in Iidabashi. With such a central location, they not only specialize in a variety of styles including fade cuts to perm to hair buns, but also have two unique offerings to stand out from other barbershops. With two subscription packages, differing in opting for or without hair washes, one can go for unlimited cuts in a month for just around ¥10,000. Secondly, they offer beer taps with many different varieties to suit different taste buds, from can to tap to tasting set. Sit down, relax and enjoy the beer and your new hair!
Wolfman Barber is another one. While they have locations in Tokyo, they actually originate from Sano, Tochigi prefecture. That’s something almost unheard of, since competition in big cities such as Tokyo is fierce, but they managed to open three locations in the hottest spots in town, Shimokitazawa, Roppongi and Jingumae. With a clear philosophy of putting customers’ needs in their best interests, Wolfman Barber has their original products that suit Japanese hair. Besides their unique, specially curated decor for a nostalgic sense of time travel, they also offer full face, ear and eye care for a total clean up.
Curly and Natural Hair
For black and bi-racial residents, it’s as hard as it gets to find a hair salon that specifically is trained in treating curly hair. Quetzal is an option you can rely on, especially if you are looking to straighten your hair. They take such pride in their skills that as long as your hair is unbleached, they will take straightening appointments even when other salons can’t. Their other two specialties include maintaining curly and natural hair, as well as only one-on-one treatment, meaning a staff member is responsible for and will take care of your hair for the entire session to ensure even finish.
Hair Care for All
For other races, finding a hair salon that is familiar with non-Asian hair can be equally hard. Fear not and book an appointment at Gold Salon in Tokyo. All staff can speak English and their customer base is mostly foreigners. With Howard Lee Regne, an Australian owner, the staff are very updated on international hair trends to give the customers the latest hairstyles. With two locations in Azabu Juban and Omotesando, consultation can be conducted smoothly in English for the best result.
Hair do for Special Occasions
Ever amazed at how intricately Japanese ladies do their hair on events like summer festivals? Luckily, you don’t need to learn and do that yourself because Maria Sukhanova is here to help. A makeup artist and hairstylist, she offers services from natural look to glam and editorial look. For other Japanese celebrations like Japanese graduation, coming of age and shichi-go-san ceremonies, she has trained for 6 years and can give you the best makeover that you never knew you needed.
Fabio Alfano
Fabio’s team is not just bilingual, but is trilingual, with the unique offering of Italian-speaking services. On the website, a customer praises their services on imagination and creativity. Besides English fluency and the essential services like cut, color and perm, they focus on Brazilian Keratin, a treatment designed to help manage unruly, frizzy hair types to help to soften the waves and smooth the overall hair structure, significantly reducing the daily styling time.
All Inclusive Service with Japanese Staff
Curious about how Japanese hair stylists are trained and offer services? At Nepenji Hanare, staff offer a variety of services suitable for all groups of customers. From creative coloring to perm and even hair for people of color, they have it all covered. Kiyoko Matsuzawa at Nepenji specializes in black people’s hair and is so popular that her schedule in March is completely full. They are open for booking in April before Kiyoko travels to the US in May so take your chance to springify your hair!
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Van Anh Hoang
