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Hair salons are a big business in Japan. If you walk down a street downtown you will probably find several within the same block. There are several monthly hairstyle publications in Japan that highlight the latest styles and the most talented hairstylists in the country (most located in Omotesando `表参道` in Tokyo).
If you study in Japan for several months, chances are that sooner or later you will need to get a haircut. Most of the male classmates at school go for the cheaper barber shops, which will most likely be in the ￥1000-￥2000 range. If I go to a salon and get a cut with color treatment, it will be around ￥9000.
For advice on Japanese hairstyles, Rasysa offers a huge database of hairstyles and hair salons within Japan. Some salons listed in Fukuoka are here, though you will find plenty while walking around downtown Tenjin. If you pick one and go inside without an appointment, it`s probably best to say よやくしなくてもいいですか (is it ok without an appointment?) If all goes well they will give you a small form to fill out about things like your name and address (for promotional reasons).
Japanese salons offer fantastic service. The places I`ve been to offer remote-controlled sofa-chairs for washing you hair, give you a massage after the wash, and tea/snacks while waiting. They even get an assistant rotate the magazines regularly so you don`t get bored of reading the same one. Most of them are very serious about their profession and if you say おまかせ (I`ll leave it to you), they will try to find a hairstyle that suits your face and personality. It`s also a great place to practice your Japanese.
Japan is the perfect place to try different things. Why not a new hairstyle? 🙂
