Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2014

Located in the heart of fashionable Harajuku, Watanabe Hair Dressing and Beauty Therapy welcomes customers of all styles and walks of life. To visit Watanabe is to experience the best of Tokyo’s beauty salons where English-speaking staff pamper clients from start to finish—and some of  Japan’s top stylists use unique techniques to create sophisticated looks. If you’re looking for a great new style at a great price, a visit to Watanabe Beauty Therapy may be just what the doctor ordered.

Aki Watanabe

Forbes magazine once called Aki Watanabe “the best hairdresser in Tokyo.” Trained at the Vidal Sassoon and Toni & Guy academies, he is now the owner of Watanabe Hair Dressing—which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Aki’s work was sought after in the fashion industry, and he’s done hair styling for magazines such as The Face and i-D. He’s also worked on catwalk shows for brands like Red or Dead. Some of his celebrity clients include Beat Takeshi, architect Paul Tange and Massive Attack.

But you don’t have to be an A-lister to enjoy the latest styling trends and techniques. Aki has trained his young staff to provide great coifs at affordable prices for everyone. A haircut by a stylist is ¥5,940 or ¥9,720 if done by Aki himself. Dyeing to cover gray hair starts from ¥5,940 and henna from just  ¥7,560. Hair coloring starts from ¥8,100 and highlighting at ¥8,640. Perms are priced from ¥6,480.

Chie Funakura

Aki Watanabe shares the styling spotlight with partner Chie Funakura, who was once named Tokyo’s best hair stylist by Harper’s Bazaar Australia. Chie spent four years as a stylist in London working at a fashionable Bond Street hair salon. Her extensive experience and creative results have resulted in her being in demand as a hair and makeup stylist for television, couture shows and fashion magazines. She values the importance of client consultations before any hair cut, coloring or other beauty service. She does her best to understand what the client has in mind and prides herself on creating a custom hair plan and unique look for each person. A hair cut by Chie is ¥7,000 for women and ¥6,500 for men. Coloring starts at ¥6,500 and highlights are ¥8,000 (part) or ¥10,000 (full.)

Chika Ikeda

Spring is finally here and after a cold, dry winter your skin is crying out for a rejuvenating exfoliation and extraction facial treatment to recover. At Formachika in Watanabe Beauty Therapy, Chika Ikeda uses a unique NY-style therapy that gently removes dead skin cells, leaving the skin feeling smoother and looking fresher. This treatment is for women of all ages, and Chika draws on her many years of experience to customize it to suit various different skin types. A 90-minute course is ¥23,000. For those who would like to have their skin undergo a rebirth, Chika offers a two-month program of eight two-hours sessions for ¥198,000.

Special Offer

Metropolis readers visiting for the first time receive 10% off all hair services or an exfoliation and extraction facial treatment for ¥5,500 until May 15.

B1 Sun Beauty Harajuku 3-25-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku

Tel: 03-3405-1188. Tue-Fri 11am-9pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun & hols 10am-8pm

info@watanabe-hair.com | www.watanabe-hair.com