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July 12, 2026
 

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HAIRDRESSING

Nakamura Tanenosuke adjusts himself before hitting the stage. Every actor in kabuki relies on one final, essential element to fully inhabit their role: the wig.
CULTURE / Stage
May 1, 2026
Japan’s wig masters bring the kabuki stage to life
In kabuki, transformation begins with the wig, as master artisans shape identity, status and emotion strand by strand.
When the family planned a trip to Japan, Lily Romero was determined to visit a salon in the country well-known for its expertise in straightening treatments.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 19, 2026
Japan’s latest tourist destination: hair salons
Travelers cite high skill levels, excellent service and attention to hygiene as top reasons for having their hair treatments done in the country.
Hinako Mori, 22, arranges products at a Don Quijote outlet in Tokyo in October. The Japanese retailer, which relaxed its rules concerning hair and nail polish three years ago, says nearly a quarter of its employees sport brightly colored hair.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 17, 2025
More Japanese firms relax rules in tussle for workers
The country’s labor shortage has led companies to ease up on various aspects, such as hair and nail polish color, to secure enough part-timers.
Even if you don’t get your exact wishes across, younger Japanese　hair dressers tend to know a smattering of English and, of course,　you can always use hand gestures.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 9, 2025
From straight to curly: Getting your hair done in Japanese
From perms to straightening, navigating a Japanese salon isn’t difficult when you know the right words.
A barber gives a model a haircut during the World Barber Classic at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS
Jul 15, 2025
Japan’s World Barber Classic tries to bring back business
The event is part of a bid by Japan’s struggling barber industry to attract young male clients lost in recent years to hair salons.
The larger-than-life hairstyles of Japan's Showa Era are unmistakable — and they're making a comeback.
LIFE / Style & Design
May 12, 2025
Sculpted waves, sleek updos: Showa hairstyles are back in fashion
Television reruns and social media content showcasing Showa idols may be the driving force behind the revival of retro styles.
Otono Kuboki, a Japanese Canadian hair stylist for salon chain Sozo, is a key figure in the company's mission to elevate the viability of Japan's hairdressing industry to foreign residents.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 11, 2025
Can an international makeover help Tokyo salons meet foreign demand?
Sozo Education aims to train Tokyo’s next crop of stylists not just in English vocabulary related to hairdressing but in the diverse needs of foreign hair types.
Satoyo Kojika, who has run a barbershop inside the parliament building for more than half a century
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Dec 23, 2024
Woman who ran a parliament barbershop for half a century retires
The shop has been run by Satoyo Kojika, 85, a native of the village of Kawauchi in Fukushima Prefecture.
While baldness can often be the butt of jokes in Japan, it can also be a powerfully freeing act of self-acceptance for those struggling with hair loss.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 16, 2024
Thinning up top? Hair loss in Japan is not the end.
Among Asian countries, Japan has the highest rate of alopecia at around 26%, as well as 7.8% of women experiencing some form of hair thinning.
Sanwa Koutsu's Kuroko Taxi service has drivers dressed in traditional stagehand garb communicate with passengers only through gestures and written messages.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 9, 2024
The sound of silence: Japan’s no-conversation services
“Constant social interaction can feel like torture for us introverts,” one customer says. “I think it’s a pretty smart business move.”
Members of Onomichi High School's baseball team (back) have longer hair than members of teams that stick to traditional buzz cuts.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Jul 1, 2024
High school baseball gets a makeover as buzz cut rules are no more
What was once seen as a symbol of fighting spirit is getting a rethink as coaches try to be mindful of students’ mental states and preferences.
Here are a handful of places around Tokyo where you can treat the dad in your life to the pampering they deserve.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 12, 2024
Retro barbers, executive facials: Pamper dad with a Tokyo spa day
Despite forward-thinking on male grooming, Japan markets these pampering services largely toward women — but here are a few places dad might enjoy this Father’s Day.
Alexis Ryoko Nishizawa (left) facilitates workshops for people with curly hair during which she shares the basics with attendees.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 20, 2023
In Japan, curly hair makes you stand out. This entrepreneur says ‘embrace it.’
Nishizawa has become a go-to guide for people in Japan looking to tame and style their natural wavy, curly and coily hair.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 16, 2023
Exploring Black identity in Japan isn’t easy, especially when it comes to hair
The case of a Hyogo student told not to wear cornrows has prompted Black people in Japan to reflect on expression and identity in a homogeneous society.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 15, 2023
Haircuts for the deceased, begun in Mie, now offered across Chubu
Stylists across the region now cooperate in offering such services, aiming to make the deceased look the way they used to and allow families to spend a last moment with their loved one.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
May 2, 2022
Fukuoka woman helps children with developmental disabilities get haircuts
Mika Kuriyama runs a website that offers information on hair salons and barbers where such children can get a haircut and feel comfortable.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2020
A cut above: Tokyo barber launches ‘telecut’ service as COVID-19 hits business
Mr. Brothers Cut Club of Harajuku has launched what could be the industry’s first online haircut service.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Apr 25, 2020
Extreme #stayhome measures
‘If it turns out bad, I’m not gonna go outside. Ever.’
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 14, 2019
A cut above the rest: A new generation of barbers is trying to overcome an image problem
A group of men sporting tattoos and smoking cigarettes chats casually on benches outside Mr. Brothers Cut Club in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku neighborhood.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Sep 2, 2017
Takamichi Saeki styles his own American dream
For Takamichi Saeki, the road to becoming a hair stylist and running a salon started out in the art world, working as a gallery assistant.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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