Want to get a haircut in Japan and don't know where to start? Hair salons in Japan are wonderful, but they can be expensive, have different names, and Japanese people may not have the experience with their hair. In this article, we are going to talk a little about barbers, beauty salons or hairdressers in Japan.
Traditional barbershops can be identified by a swivel post with striped colors of blue, red and white. They are called tokoya (床屋) and are intended for a male audience, most of whom are middle-aged men. Beauty salons are called biyouin (美容院) and are intended for both sexes.
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The differences between hairdressers in Japan
There are many different things about a hairdresser in Japan. They usually cover their face with a cape to wash their hair. Capes often have arms, and many salons offer drinks such as tea, coffee or even soft drinks. The price may vary if your saber is very long and weekends tend to be more expensive.
Salons usually offer low prices if it's just the cut. Many salons charge for the use of shampoo and drying in service. Cuts can range from 500 to 3000 yen. Of course, there are many other services involving hair that are much more expensive.
Although beauty salons in Japan are expensive, their experience and service is incredible. It is very normal for hairdressers to offer you something to drink, a shoulder massage and even shampooing your hair (it feels like a massage too).
Tokyo's most popular hair and beauty salons are hayato, shinka, assort, sozo, bondz salon, natura and hiroin. If you are traveling through Tokyo, we recommend these places. Remembering that, as they are the most popular, they are probably the most expensive.
Most salons have massage chairs, offer services such as ear cleaning and provide other comfort and relaxation procedures. There are many salons that already have the objective of serving foreigners. They end up creating true community centers for foreigners to delve into the culture.
Japanese vocabulary and haircuts
There are thousands of words related to haircut and used in salons. Discover some below:
Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>
| Portuguese | Japanese | Romaji |
| barbershop | 床屋 | tokoya |
| Barber | 理容師 | riyoushi |
| Cortar | 切る | kiru |
| Cut | カット | katto |
| Longo | 長い / ロング | nagai / rongu |
| Short | 短い / ショート | mijikai / shooto |
| Medium | ミディアム | midiamu |
| Haircut | 髪のカット | kami no katto |
| hairdresser | 美容師 | biyoushi |
| Frizz | クセ | kuse |
| Bob | ボブ | bobu |
| Beauty salon | 美容院 | biyouin |
| washing | ヘアサロン | hea saron |
| Shampoo | シャンプー | shampuu |
| Hair treatment | ブロー | buroo |
| Treatment | トリートメント | toriitomento |
| Permanent | パーマ | paama |
| straightening | ストレート パーマ | sutoreeto pama |
| Dye | カラー | karaa |
| Fringe | 前髪 | maegami |
| peaked cut | シャギー | shagii |
| razor cut | レザーカット | rezaa katoo |
| cut with scissors | スキバサミ | sukibasam |
| stroke cut | ストロークカット | sutorooku katto |
| layer cut | レイヤーカット | reiyaa katto |
| effect cut | エフェクトカット | afekuto katto |
| Manicure | ヘアマニキュアー | heamanikyuaa |
| Hair style | 髪型 | kamigata |
| wavy hair | ウェーブ | weebu |
| Mushroom Cut | マッシュ | masshu |
| Texture, hair wave | 髪質 | kamishitsu |
| Straight hair | ストレート | sutoreeto |
| Brown hair | 茶髪 | chapatsu |
| Black hair | 黒髪 | kurokami |
| Blond hair | 金髪 | kinpatsu |
| White hair | 白髪 | shiraga |
| roots | 根元 | nemoto |
| Moustache | 口髭 | kuchi hige |
| Beard | 顎髭 | ago hige |
| Pente | 櫛 | kushi |
| razor | カミソリ | kamisori |
Phrases to talk at the hairdresser
Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>
| How much does a haircut cost? | カットはいくらですか? | Katto wa ikura desu ka? |
| What length do you want? | 長さはどうしますか？ | Naga-sa wa dou shimasu ka? |
| I want a haircut, please. | カットをお願いします | Katto wo onegaishimasu. |
| Could you cut it a little shorter please. | もっと短くしてください。 | Motto mijikaku shite kudasai. |
| Please cut this far. | この辺まで切ってください。 | Kono hen made kitte kudasai. |
| Is this length ok? | 長さはいかがでしょう？ | Nagasa wa ikaga deshou? |
| Cut a little more please. | もう少し切ってください。 | Mousukoshi kitte kudasai. |
| Please show me color samples. | 色のサンプルを見せてください。 | Iro no sanpuru wo misete kudasai. |
| Please put some gel on your hair | ヘアジェルをつけてください。 | Hea jeru wo tsukete kudasai. |
Although we share some phrases, remember that countless dialogues can arise inside a beauty salon in Japan. Be sure to go with a friend who is fluent in Japanese.
I hope you enjoyed this little article. Share your experience at a Beauty Salon or Hairdresser in Japan through our comments. We appreciate the comments and shares. We also recommend:
- What is the secret of Japanese beauty? (Thin and Young)
- Male beauty standards in Japan
- How do Japanese women take care of their skin? What is the secret?
Finally, we'll leave a video of our daily Japan channel, where they visit a Tokoya.