Haircut in Japan

I look at my watch; 6:30...ikeru, I think to myself...cutting my hair shouldn't take more than 20 minutes...I’ll be back at my new host’s house by 7, in time for a delicious dinner...

Takeuchi is the name of the barber...Hmm, the same as the last name of my classmate...funny. I enter, greeted by several middle aged men and ladies; a few busy with cutting hair. I sit down on one of the chairs, and a man approaches me. He puts a pink towel around my neck and wraps a large white blanket around my body. Shitsureishimasu...

My haircut.

The chair turns with an electric buzz and the mirror in front of me turns into a sink. The man washes my hair and I’m in cloud nine. His magical hands send sensual waves throughout my neck and body. All too soon the sink disappears and I’m brought down from the clouds. He brings a few magazines and asks me which hairstyle is the best. I ask him to just cut my hair normally; Futsuuni kitte kuremasuka? He nods and pulls out a pair of scissors and begins cutting away. I get lost in my thoughts and before I know it, he’s done. My chair once again turns and the man lowers my head into the sink. Sploosh! The man starts rubbing shampoo into my hair, it’s like he’s giving me a head massage. He then rinses out the shampoo and finally it’s over. Sploosh! The man starts rubbing some strange liquid-goo into my hair again. Wow, conditioner? This is tip-worthy...

After rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, he sits me up. After a few touch ups, I’m ready to leave and pay for my haircut...probably around 2000 yen. Then the man pushes a button to lower the chair. He then walks over and I notice that he has a surgeon mask over his mouth. I start to panic while he starts rubbing some liquid all over my face. He then uses some sort of cylindrical object to suction off most of the liquid from my face. He then walks over next to the sink and squirts white foam onto his hand...What is he planning on doing? He rubs the foam over the entire bottom half of my face...He’s…he’s shaving me. I feel the sharpness of the blade as he shaves away at my cheek, chin, and upper lip. Stupefied, I just stay still.

He walks over to the shaving cream dispenser and squirts some more out onto his hand. Where else is he going to shave? This is getting a bit uncomfortable...He rubs the cream over my entire forehead and eyes and continues to shave my forehead and eyelids. After having my forehead-shaving-virginity taken away, by this Japanese barber. I start to wonder whether I had accidentally asked for some sort of special super deluxe treatment...Am I going to have enough money for this? He pulls out a pair of scissors and, instead of going for my hair, starts to cut my nose hair...Oh my god! I ordered the wrong thing! What do I say?

All the Japanese I learned in the last 3 years suddenly disappeared. He takes a hot towel and rubs my face with it. Finally, the chair is returned to its upright position and he dries my hair with a towel, whilst giving me a full head massage. After tossing away the towel, he proceeds to give me a neck and shoulder massage. THIS MUST BE A SPECIAL KING SERVICE! I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS! He then pulls off the towel and blanket. Otsukaresama! He smiles and leads me to the cash register. I stumble off the chair and manage to stutter how much it will cost…If it’s over 5000 yen I don’t have the money to pay for it...What do I do? I got it. I’ll offer to work here part-time after school everyday! I thank the man and he says, "Hai, arigatou gozaimashita, sanzenen de gozaimasu." I nearly fall to the floor. 3000 yen?! For that king treatment?!I’m lost for words as I pull out three 1000 yen bills. I thank the man numerous times and back out the door bowing.

I’m definitely coming back here before I leave Japan...

On a side note, I wrote this a few years back when I was in Japan. I don't know why I never uploaded it to my blog, but now here it is!