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July 25, 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.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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 ¡ª 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
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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 ¡ª 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.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
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 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
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.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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