Tonsorial tutorial: Tokyo's best male grooming
Male grooming is hot in Tokyo at the moment. The so-called "herbivorous males" are more concerned with looking beautiful than climbing the corporate ladder, while big shot executives are indulging in manicures as part of the "good life."
So whether you’re after a no-nonsense trim or rejuvenating beauty treatment, here are three hot-towel hotspots for the city's elite.
Isetan Men’s Day Spa
Description: A top-floor sanctuary in the Isetan department chain’s flagship store where affluent men leave behind their red-blooded alpha male and embrace a royal good pampering.
Clientele: Business types aged 30 and above with slightly smug smiles on their faces.
Go for: The Precious Head Spa, which includes a gentle oil massage of your scalp, shoulders, hands and arms, hot stone treatment on your shoulders (so gentle it's barely noticeable), plus a head wrap, head sauna, a shampoo and rinse. 30 minutes: ¥9,975.
They say: Ideal for busy men with tired eyes and itchy scalps.
We say: Male grooming used to be about getting two things: a short "back 'n' sides" and a free session of girlfriend counseling. There's none of that here -- they won't cut your hair and the staff are more likely to offer irony-free advice on aromatic oils rather than pointers on women woes. They will, however, leave your hair as shiny and soft as the days you were in diapers -- with head sauna steam injecting protein particles into your pores. The cerulean-lighted head wrap, meanwhile, is so relaxing it's like bathing your head inside a lava lamp. Not even the itchy disposable boxer shorts or the Norah Jones soundtrack will put you off.
Isetan Men's Day Spa: Shinjuku 3-14-1, Shinjuku-ku, tel. 03 5919 1158, 10am-8pm, www.isetan.co.jp
The Barber at Alfred Dunhill
Description: Housed within a three-story Ginza couture lab dedicated to the debonair, The Barber's young all-female team caters to your every need in a stylish, minimalist space that befits the Alfred Dunhill name.
Clientele: Savile Row-savvy businessmen aged 30-80 (yes, 80)
Go for: The Head Care Session, which includes getting your locks chopped, washed and styled, as well as a cut-throat wet shave, oil scalp treatment that aims to rid your nut of its daily grime. Plus, a short shoulder and back massage that hits the pressure points with soothing kneading rather than shiatsu-style concentrated pummeling. 85 minutes: ¥11,550.
They say: Where discerning globetrotters can get a modern update on traditional English-style grooming.
We say: Intimate atmosphere that can seat just three clients (booking is essential on Saturdays), so those embarrassing conversations with your stylist about dandruff might be overheard by the customer next door. Let's hope he can't hear you because his ears are getting the fuzz-free treatment. And in the unlikely event they deface your follicle furniture beyond repair, there's always The Aquarium lounge on the same floor to drown your sorrows in.
The Barber at Alfred Dunhill: Ginza 2-6-7, Chuo-ku, tel. 03 3562 1765, www.dunhill.com, 11am-8pm
Sky Salon Yurakucho
Description: Compared to the other two, Sky Salon's no-thrills interior leaves little incentive to loiter around post-cut. There's not even a complimentary cup of mint tea. But then again the salon's most popular treatment only takes 50 minutes.
Clientele: Local office workers on their lunch break, aged 30 and above.
Go for: The Grooming Course/Cut Course, which includes a cut, shampoo, wet shave and deodorant care. 50 minutes: ¥4,200
They say: A revitalizing grooming to nourish your scalp, skin and hair's roots.
We say: An old-school take on the speedy barber experience that still involves a certain amount of luxury -- the hairdressers here will take a blade to your rough stuff wherever it is, including the forehead, nostrils, ears and eyebrows, and then slap on the moisturizing oils. The stylists are young and friendly, although a longer consultation might yield more satisfactory results. "Express" cuts also available.
Sky Salon Yurakucho: Yurakucho 1-10-1, Chiyoda-ku, tel. 03 3211 7838, www.sky-salon.co.jp, 10:30am-7pm (closed Sundays and national holidays)
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