Japan's World Barber Classic tries to bring back business
The event is part of a bid by Japan's struggling barber industry to attract young male clients lost in recent years to hair salons, which are popular for their high-quality services.
"In many countries, men getting their hair cut by barbers is an established culture," whereas in Japan young men favour salons, competition organiser Sho Yokota told AFP.
"What we're trying to achieve is to elevate a men's cut, or barbering, as a culture for men."
Popular culture in Japan driven by boy-band idols and young male actors steers men towards longer coiffures instead of the shaved, cropped or slicked-back styles usually associated with barbers.
A TV trend at the turn of the century which made top hairdressers into fashion icons also increased the popularity of salons over traditional barber shops.
There are around 110,000 barber shops currently open in Japan, but twice as many salons.
Most Japanese barbers are elderly but a new generation has emerged, armed with social media savvy.
Among them is contestant Shoma Sugimura, who made it to the final three on Monday.
"Our haircuts are often manly," the 29-year-old, whose neck and shaved head were covered in tattoos, told AFP.
The competing barbers were tested on their self-expression Monday, with each given a minute to woo the audience with a speech.
Barbers in Japan are renowned for their skill, organiser Yokota said, but were often viewed as lacking showmanship.
"I think hair is more than just hair," judge Giancarlo Burgos, from Los Angeles, told AFP.
"It's a way of communicating yourself, but also connecting people. It's a language that anybody can understand."
Another contestant Takumasa Suzuki, 32, told AFP he was trying to emulate American barber culture to bring business back and keep the barber trade alive.
"In Japan, people just go for trendy haircuts," but in the racially diverse United States, "they want their haircuts to encapsulate their own culture and heritage," he said.
"If barbershops in Japan can become a place where we can help customers express who they are, then I don't think we will vanish."
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
'Butter': the foodie feminist bestseller skewering sexism in Japan
Translated into English last year, the tale of murder and misogyny has whetted an insatiable appetite, selling 610,000 copies overseas, including 400,000 in Britain -- more than Japan -- where it won multiple awards. Yuzuki was inspired by the real-life story of "Black Widow" Kanae Kijima, a woman sentenced to death in 2012 for poisoning three men she met on dating sites. The sensationalised media coverage at the time largely focused on Kijima's appearance, speculating how someone described as homely and unattractive could be considered a femme fatale. Many credited her romantic success to her homemaking prowess -- notably in the kitchen. "When the case broke, the Japanese media mainly remembered that the suspect liked to cook and took classes ... to 'please men'," Yuzuki told AFP in an interview. "That deeply disturbed me." In "Butter", a journalist likewise disquieted by the portrayal of a Kijima-like character (renamed Kajii) writes to the jailed suspect, hoping to secure an exclusive interview by appealing to her gourmet tastes. Via a letter soliciting the beef stew recipe that Kajii reportedly fed her final victim, the pair begin an intimate and life-changing relationship. This proves a vehicle for Yuzuki to chew over the roots of misogyny in Japan, where traditional male and female roles still dominate and women are held to impossible beauty standards. In politics and boardrooms for example, women remain rare. Japan ranks 118 out of 146 in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Gender Gap Report. "Japan is a deeply patriarchal country. Very often, it is the father who occupies the central position within the family unit. This is the basis for laws even," Yuzuki said. 'Fatphobia' Food -- particularly butter, that artery-blocking symbol of pleasure and excess -- forms the molten core of the story. Through sumptuous descriptions of butter-rich ramen and lavishly buttered rice, Yuzuki explores the tension between indulging appetites and the self-denial required to fulfil the societal pressure on women to stay thin. "There is an incredible amount of adverts for weight loss, cosmetic surgery and diets. This country is obsessed with fatphobia," Yuzuki said. It is also tough for women in Japan, where the #MeToo movement never really took off, to speak out about discrimination and sexual assault. Shiori Ito, a journalist who took the rare step of publicly accusing a prominent Japanese TV reporter of rape -- a charge he denies -- is a case in point. Ito's documentary "Black Box Diaries", which was nominated for an Oscar, was not released in Japan because it used material recorded clandestinely or intended for judicial use only. "In other countries, especially the United States, from the beginning of #MeToo, many well-known journalists have seriously investigated these cases, and it is because this information was made public officially that the victims were able to be protected," Yuzuki said. But in Japan, "women who have had the courage to speak out are reduced to the role of activists and consumed by the media within that framework," she said. Another example is Masahiro Nakai, a boyband member and a star TV presenter accused of sexual assault. He initially disputed the facts and then apologised. The scandal shone a spotlight on the toxic culture of young women being pressed into attending dinners and drinking parties with powerful figures. "What strikes me is this uninterrupted chain of sexual violence, and especially that these are crimes committed within one organisation, covered up by another organisation... that of the media," Yuzuki said. Yuzuki is convinced that change can only come from outside. "When foreigners take up a topic, especially the English-language media, it completely changes the way it is perceived in Japan," she said.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Japan's World Barber Classic tries to bring back business
A dozen Japanese and foreign contestants were taking part in the World Barber Classic, showing off their hairdressing skills surrounded by national flags and the blare of hip-hop tunes. The event is part of a bid by Japan's struggling barber industry to attract young male clients lost in recent years to hair salons, which are popular for their high-quality services. "In many countries, men getting their hair cut by barbers is an established culture," whereas in Japan young men favour salons, competition organiser Sho Yokota told AFP. "What we're trying to achieve is to elevate a men's cut, or barbering, as a culture for men." Popular culture in Japan driven by boy-band idols and young male actors steers men towards longer coiffures instead of the shaved, cropped or slicked-back styles usually associated with barbers. A TV trend at the turn of the century which made top hairdressers into fashion icons also increased the popularity of salons over traditional barber shops. There are around 110,000 barber shops currently open in Japan, but twice as many salons. Most Japanese barbers are elderly but a new generation has emerged, armed with social media savvy. Among them is contestant Shoma Sugimura, who made it to the final three on Monday. "Our haircuts are often manly," the 29-year-old, whose neck and shaved head were covered in tattoos, told AFP. The competing barbers were tested on their self-expression Monday, with each given a minute to woo the audience with a speech. Barbers in Japan are renowned for their skill, organiser Yokota said, but were often viewed as lacking showmanship. "I think hair is more than just hair," judge Giancarlo Burgos, from Los Angeles, told AFP. "It's a way of communicating yourself, but also connecting people. It's a language that anybody can understand." Another contestant Takumasa Suzuki, 32, told AFP he was trying to emulate American barber culture to bring business back and keep the barber trade alive. "In Japan, people just go for trendy haircuts," but in the racially diverse United States, "they want their haircuts to encapsulate their own culture and heritage," he said. "If barbershops in Japan can become a place where we can help customers express who they are, then I don't think we will vanish." © 2025 AFP
Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
Beloved and polemic French TV presenter Thierry Ardisson dies aged 76
Thierry Ardisson, a leading French television presenter and producer, has died aged 76. Ardisson died on Monday 14 July of liver cancer, his family told AFP. "Thierry left as he lived. As a courageous and free man. With his children and mine, we were united around him. Until his last breath," wrote his wife, TF1 journalist Audrey Crespo-Mara. Known for his humorous and often controversal interviews, Ardisson had one of the longest and most colourful careers in French television, shaking up the TV landscape with formats he adored – namely ones that challenged the guests and took them out of their comfort zones. "When I got into TV, I quickly realised that there were subjects that weren't being talked about, a language that wasn't being used," he told GQ in November 2015. 'There was a boulevard to revolutionise everything." Always dressed in black, he courted controversy with crude remarks and often polemical interviewing styles that led some of his detractors to label him 'trashy'. He created shows like Descente de police, Lunettes noires pour nuits blanches, Rive Droite / Rive Gauche and Paris Dernière. He made his biggest mark on the public service in 1998 with Tout le monde en parle, a cult Saturday night show on France 2. His celebrity interviews quickly became the talk of the town, with one of his most infamous moments being with Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of François Mitterrand, when he asked him if sucking was cheating. His last show, Hôtel du Temps, for France Télévisions, had a rather unique selling point: he would interview dead celebrities. Aided by artificial intelligence, he brought back to life legendary French actor Jean Gabin, celebrated comedian Coluche and singer Dalida – 35 years after her death. The concept was both admired and criticised, with some praising its inventiveness while others saw it as disrespectful. The show ultimately failed to secure an audience and was cancelled in 2023 – only one year after its start date. Ardisson was married three times, was the father of three children and a grandfather since 2019. French president Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Légion d'honneur - one of France's most prestigious orders of merit, both military and civil - in 2024. Through an Elysée statement, President Macron paid tribute to the memory of Ardisson, calling him the man who 'helped write the history of French television.'
