Hairdressers in Japan – Curiosities and Vocabulary

Want to get a haircut in Japan and don’t know where to start? The hair salons in Japan are wonderful, but they can be expensive, have different names, and the Japanese may not have experience with your hair. In this article, we will talk a little about barbers, beauty salons, or hairdressers in Japan.

Traditional barbershops can be identified by a spinning post with blue, red, and white stripes. They are called tokoya (床屋) and are intended for a male audience, with most customers being middle-aged men. Beauty salons are called biyouin (美容院) and cater to both genders.

The differences of hairdressers in Japan

There are many different things in a hairdresser in Japan. They usually cover your face with a cape to wash your hair. The capes often have sleeves, and many salons offer drinks like tea, coffee, or even soft drinks. The price can vary if your hair is very long, and weekends tend to be more expensive.

Salons often offer low prices if it’s just a cut. Many salons charge for the use of shampoo and drying as part of the service. Haircuts can range from 500 to 3000 yen. Of course, there are many other hair services that are much more expensive.

Although beauty salons in Japan are expensive, their experience and service are incredible. It is very common for hairdressers to offer something to drink, a shoulder massage, and even wash your hair with shampoo (which also feels like a massage).

The most popular beauty salons and hairdressers in Tokyo are hayato, shinka, assort, sozo, bondz salon, natura, and hiroin. If you are traveling in Tokyo, we recommend these places. Keep in mind that, as they are the most popular, they are likely the most expensive.

Most salons have massage chairs, offer services like ear cleaning, and provide other comfort and relaxation procedures. There are many salons that aim to serve foreigners. They end up creating true community centers for foreigners to immerse themselves in the culture.

Vocabulary and haircuts in Japanese

There are thousands of words related to haircuts and used in beauty salons. Here are some below:

Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>

Portuguese	Japanese	Romaji
Barbershop	床屋	tokoya
Barber	理容師	riyoushi
Cut	切る	kiru
Haircut	カット	katto
Long	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
Perm	パーマ	paama
Straightening	ストレート パーマ	sutoreeto pama
Dye	カラー	karaa
Bangs	前髪	maegami
Layered cut	シャギー	shagii
Razor cut	レザーカット	rezaa katoo
Scissors cut	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
Hairstyle	髪型	kamigata
Wavy hair	ウェーブ	weebu
Mushroom cut	マッシュ	masshu
Hair texture, wave	髪質	kamishitsu
Straight hair	ストレート	sutoreeto
Brown hair	茶髪	chapatsu
Black hair	黒髪	kurokami
Blonde hair	金髪	kinpatsu
White hair	白髪	shiraga
Roots	根元	nemoto
Moustache	口髭	kuchi hige
Beard	顎髭	ago hige
Comb	櫛	kushi
Razor	カミソリ	kamisori

Sentences to say at the hairdresser

Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways 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 to get a haircut, please.	カットをお願いします	Katto wo onegaishimasu.
Can you cut it a little shorter, please?	もっと短くしてください。	Motto mijikaku shite kudasai.
Please cut it to here.	この辺まで切ってください。	Kono hen made kitte kudasai.
Is this length okay?	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 in my hair.	ヘアジェルをつけてください。	Hea jeru wo tsukete kudasai.

Although we shared some phrases, remember that numerous dialogues can arise within a beauty salon in Japan. Make sure to go with a friend fluent in Japanese.

I hope you enjoyed this short article. Share your experience in a beauty salon or hairdresser in Japan through our comments. We appreciate your comments and shares. We also recommend:

• What is the secret of Japanese beauty? (Thin and Young)
• The concept of male beauty in Japan
• How do Japanese women take care of their skin? What is the secret?

To finish, let’s leave a video from the channel Japão nosso de cada dia, where they visit a Tokoya.