getting haircuts in tokyo ...

[ehmin17]

i've been in tokyo for about a couple weeks now, and I'd like to get a haircut. But because my Japanese is so crappy, I'm not sure how to explain how I want my hair cut. People around me tell me to just find a picture of a hair style I like in a fashion magazine and just bring it in. This would be fine, if I actually looked like any of the models in these magazines. Also, I heard from a friend of mine that she was kicked out of one hair salon cause she was a gaijin. I was just wondering what you guys do for your hair needs. . .

[Brooker]

I went to little Mom and Pop places to get my hair cut while I was in Japan and they always seemed to enjoy the novelty of cutting gaijin hair. All I did was learn the words for "long" and "short" (one of them is "nagai" I think - I can't remember exactly and I don't have my J-dictionary on me right now) and I would point to each part of my head. They always did a good job. Unless you're looking for something really specific, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

[Elizabeth]

Never been there long enough to have pressing hair needs unfortunately, but at least I have the broken phrases ready to go :bow:

Don't cut too short....."Kiri suginai de kudasai" :)

That's fine....."Kore de kekkou desu"

While pointing, A little more here...."Koko wo mou sukoshi katto (cut) shite kudasai"

And long is nagai, mijikai short -- What did you want to ask exactly ?

[ehmin17]

nagai, mijikai, got it ... btw, i heard some places give free massages. fact or fiction?

[Uncle Frank]

shoulder massage?? Back in the 70's they whomped the heck out of you after the haircut was done.It was also the first time I had seen a woman barber, no such thing back in Maine at the time.

Frank

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

[neko_girl22]

they give you a lovely head massage if you get your hair washed! sooooooo nice! it makes me get my hair cut regularly just for the massage! My husband also gets his face shaved .....and also his eyebrows! (he didn't like that much....) :p

If you have curly hair things get much more difficult though as I have found out.......

[playaa]

Haha, maybe I should try and get a haircut when I am in Japan right before I leave!! Should be an experience.. :) Do it before I leave so if they mess it up I can look stupid at my house lol

[mdchachi]

Full service places will give you a nice scalp/shoulder massage, Y3000 and up. Cheap places won't but even the cheap place I went to for Y1000 (now about Y1500 I think) included shampoo, cut, rinse, blow-dry/style. Compare that to the cheap places in the U.S. which simply give you a cut for $12-$14. You have to run straight home to rinse off your hair and change your shirt from all the hair that's fallen inside. Lame.

Last time I had a haircut there, I went to a little neighborhood barber shop. An old guy gave me an entire haircut using a straight razor to cut the hair! Needless to say I made sure not to make any sudden movements! It was a good cut, though. It was Y1000 or thereabouts including shave.

Definitely worth the experience. Whatever happens, it will grow back. :happy:

[m477]

Oh man, now I feel like I'm missing out because I started cutting my hair myself before I came to Japan. Also, I've never gotten a shave (from a barber) before, it seems kinda scary having someone go at you with a straight razor! Maybe I'll just go one time for the experience.

[-Yu-]

Hi, I'm Japanese guy and I have cut my hair for 4 years or something.
It looks alright and noone notices it besides you can save a lot of money.
I suggest that you buy some haircutting equipments from some shop.
I like to cut my hait whenever I feel like.It's really fun though you would mistake when you try very first time.

[playaa]

I am gonna have to experience this though, so they really do massages and the whole thing for one price in the barber? I gotta do this :)

[Brooker]

The last time I got a haircut here in the States the guy used a straight razor. Didn't massage my scalp though.