Top Tokyo hair salons

Boasting over 20 years of experience, Watanabe Hair Dressing is a reassuring fixture on Tokyo’s salon scene, where you can relax and leave your mane in the hands of highly qualified stylists. Located in the midst of Harajuku, it also offers an escape from the hectic city centre: each haircut includes a soothing shiatsu head massage, essential-oil-scented hot towels, complimentary beverages, the latest English-language magazines and lots of time allotted for consultation. We recommend booking an appointment with style director and manager Kenichi Momoi, who speaks fluent English and confidently handles any kind of tresses. After examining your hair, he’s happy to give recommendations for your locks’ particular texture and hairstyles that will suit the shape of your face. He even factors in climatic conditions for the time of year – such as rainy season or August humidity when formulating a style strategy. In addition to the comprehensive hair-related services, his staff also offer manicures, pedicures and makeup should you want head-to-toe pampering.

Sun Beauty Harajuku B1F, 3-25-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku (Harajuku Station). 03 3405 1188. watanabe-hair.com.

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Gold Salon owner Howard Lee Regner has more than 30 years’ experience in the hairdressing industry, and a team of skilled and dedicated stylists who are experts in all hair types, from silky straight to thick and frizzy. A bright, sunlit space overlooking Azabu-Juban, Gold prides itself in its precise colouring work, which can be tricky to achieve in Japan, especially for those with light hair. Whether you’re after a few sun-kissed highlights, a painted balayage, a semi-permanent dye or the trendy ombré look, the staff have been trained to handle any request, and deploy the latest techniques and products. Gold Salon also offers the Brazilian Keratin treatment and Japanese-style hair straightening to smooth out your hair for several months, as well as hair extensions for lengthening or volumising. Visit the website for detailed information about those treatments, or call to book a free consultation.

6F, 4-1-9 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku (Azabu-Juban Station). 03 6436 0228. goldsalontokyo.com.

If you’re busy and looking for a convenient way to book a haircut with an English-speaking stylist, Assort Hair might just become your go-to. The salon has been featured on national television, and has branches in New York and Hong Kong, in addition to the Tokyo salon near Gaienmae Station. Before you make an appointment, though, do some light research on their website: you can scroll through their staff list and see each stylist’s English fluency level. Pick the best match for your own Japanese skills, then fill out the reservation form online. Although Assort Hair probably boasts the highest number of English-speaking hairdressers under one roof, their services are not just about the language, but also about the team’s precision and design skills – which are at the cutting edge, so to speak, of international trends and techniques. First-time clients get a free treatment and a ¥1,000 discount, and the biscuits served with your complimentary beverage are a nice touch.

B1F, 2-10-28 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku (Gaienmae Station). 03 5772 6461. www.assort-hair.com/english.

Tucked away in the hilly streets between Daikanyama and Ebisu, this little haven is a favourite of Japanese celebrities. Whether you’re hopeful to run into one or just want a stylish haircut, Éclat Daikanyama has an excellent reputation with its foreign clientele as well. Their master colourist Kyosuke has extensive experience, having worked in London, Paris and Bangkok. Their stylists do not use thinning scissors, which work great on Japanese hair but can be disastrous on many non-Japanese hair types, as anyone who’s had the unfortunate experience will know. They also cut dry hair, a technique several stylists swear by as it allows them to see precisely how the hair falls and gives the hairdresser a better sense of the texture. It also eliminates shrinkage, which means if you ask for a 3cm trim, you’ll get exactly that and no surprise short cut. Éclat offers all the usual cutting, colouring, perming and straightening services, on top of soothing and detoxing head spas and kimono or yukata-dressing. You can easily make an appointment in English by phone, or use their online booking form if you’re comfortable enough in basic Japanese.

2F, 1-30-13 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku (Daikanyama Station). 03 6455 0614. eclat-daikanyama.com/english.html.