Yesterday I got my second haircut in Japan. Many foreigners, like myself, find this a daunting task; there are lots of worrisome variables that go into it. How do we convey the cut we want? Will the hairstylist be able to adapt to our hair (it’s thicker/thinner than the average customer). How do we make a reservation?
Okay, maybe everyone doesn’t have these worries, but I do. My advice for those who want a cut in Japan will be fine if they take some of these precautions: First, find a cut you like and bring a picture in. Duh, you say, this is basic advice that applies to your home country too. I know, I know. But this way, you don’t have to try and explain in Japanese. I just point and say, “このようなカット好きです” (“I like this sort of haircut”). I don’t know any special terms (like layering) in Japanese, so this trick works well! The hairstylist will ask questions, and if you don’t understand, a combination of hand-gestures, broken Japanese and English will pass.
Second, memorize a few phrases. Such as “３センチぐらい”(about three centimeters) or “まかせます” (I’m in your care, i.e. I trust you, do whatever you want). Obviously, these are the phrases I memorized, because my view of hair is that it always grows back, so if the stylist ends up doing something weird, It grows back (I always end up saying things like “please do whatever you recommend” but my styles end up looking just like the pictures. They do a good job, but are not going to be responsible for me crying over a haircut ^__^). This is not really an advice entry, so I’m not going to be giving a lot of Japanese phrases, sorry!
Oh, quickly on the point about making reservations. The first time I got a cut, it was a Tuesday or a Thursday, and I was able to walk into the salon, fill out a membership card, then get a cut. Yesterday we went in and were asked to come back at 1 for a reservation. (If anyone wants to know what I said I said this: 予約がないんですけど、今カットをできますか？ Or something like that. It’s not perfect Japanese, but I made an effort -_-;;. I was trying to say ‘I don’t have a reservation, but can I get a cut?”).
So, the haircut! This time, I had my hair shampooed and…let me tell you. All those rumors you hear about the great service in Japanese salons, well they are true! They spent at least 10 minutes shampooing, conditioning and massaging. The guy who was doing it for me, he kept using super-polite Japanese when he had to move my head, or when he was washing out the shampoo. He was so adorably-polite. I’m glad there was a towel over my head, or else I would have freaked him out with all the weird faces I was making. It was so relaxing! At one point, during the luxurious head-massage, I got this crazy twitch in my leg! What was that all about?
In the end, I didn’t get much of a cut, because I told my stylist that I liked the length (I’m trying to grow my hair out) but I have shorter, strait bangs (no more side-swept bangs!). I like it, it was a little expensive considering how little was cut, but the head massage was worth it! In all, it was about the same price as my American salon cuts at around ￥3600 (around $40). That's the average price for American salons but, as Japanse salons go, that is fairly cheap. I'm very happy with my cut!
Thanks for reading :)
I should post more substantial. Next time? Haha... ^__^
Some Random Pictures from School
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