Anne Stewart and her boyfriend had been dating for just over a year. They decided to celebrate their anniversary to visit his home in Japan. he'd grown up in Tokyo with his family until he moved for university in the states where they live now. It would be her first time traveling to asia and she didn't know what to expect. Thank god she was going with her boyfriend so he could do all of the translations and she could have a 'local' experience.
The first few days were chaotic— robot bars, family dinners, hot pot, the best dumplings She've ever experienced. By the end of the third day or going out every night she asked for a day off just to sleep in and do nothing. Hiroshi was content with that and they spent the morning together and laying in bed.
"I'm going to run down to the salon this afternoon. Theres a big one a few blocks away. I'd kill for a japanese head massage right now."
"That sounds nice," Anne said, rolling over in the duvet to face her. "What a japanese salon like?"
"They cater to you so much more than in the states. Long head massages and sometimes they give you a blanket to keep you warm. You want to see it? Its a pretty wild experience" he laughed to himself.
They moved slow to put shower and put on clothes continuing their lazy day. They finally left the house around 3pm, stopping for coffee and a sandwich.
When they got to the salon Anne saw it really was an experience. It was a massive place that looked more like a shop than a salon.
Anne sat in the waiting area and Hiroshi's name was called pretty fast. Sheflipped through a magazine in the waiting area with the other girls as he went back to get his hair washed. She got a message on my phone from Hiroshi "Come back and sit with me."
Anne walked down and saw Hiroshi wave to her. There he was, his hair wet and under the cape, but it wasn't like in american salons. This cape was long, covering herself and the entire chair. The cape had sleeves so her arms sat in her lap. he had a towel around his neck and with the cape buttons over top of it, it made it look like she had a life jacket around her neck. It was the funny site to see my boyfriend like this. He resembled more of a strange alien monster than the boy beneath the gown. Anne made a giggle to herself and got out her phone to take a picture of this site.
He laughed at me. "Stop that," he smiled. He opened up a page from the magazine resting against the mirror. "Were doing that?" he said, pointing to a picture of a fauxhawk on an woman with a traditional look.
"Oh wow," Anne said. "What a change!" Anne tried to sound enthused but she really couldn't care. Her hair currently hung down to just below her shoulder braids.
He was speaking in Japanese to the stylist and they were going back and forth and laughing. She looked in the mirror at herself and tousled her shaggy hair. Her blonde hair was overgrown, she was still hoping she could pull off some sort of ponytail in time for summer and had gotten a light trim a few weeks ago to keep it fresh. While she was looking at herself in the mirror , she realised Hiroshi and the stylist were looking at laughing at me.
"What?" she said. The pale white stylist walked off and Anne sat caped alone in the chair.
"Oh Anne, your hair is such a mess. let's get it a bit of a trim."
Before she could respond or even process the question the stylist came back with another pretty female stylist with a curly Bob. The three of them then began talking very fast. Anne kept her hands under the gown so she couldn't see any of her motions. Then the new stylist put her hand on her shoulder and made a motion to follow her.
He gave a confused pleading look to her. "Oh this is so great You'll love the massage and you'll look so cute."
Anne have to say the massage was tremendous. The chair vibrator like a massage chair and the head massage lasted nearly 10 minutes. When she got out of the shampoo chair she felt in an enlightened state. Anne followed her stylist past the rows of girls getting their hair done. she could feel the eyes on her. After all, not only was she the only person getting their hair done there she was also the only person with bushy blonde hair instead of straight black hair. They'd probably never seen someone with hair like hers in here.
Anne sat down in the chair and Hiroshi was in the chair diagonal to see so she could see him but couldn't hear her over the glass. The hairdresser was cutting his hair dry now. Whole clumps of thick black hair lay wet and limp on her cape. The cape was being covered more and more in the thin dry pieces as the stylist layered his hair. He kept her eyes on himself in the mirror. Anne could tell she was nervous. She knew her most apprehensive state.
Her stylist appeared behind her and threw the long cape white cape over her. She said something she didn't understand but then she realised she was asking me to put her hands out to go through the sleeves. She tied it in the back and she looked at herself in the mirror. This was one of the most embarrassing she've ever looked. Anne now looked like a strange alien. Hopefully nobody know would ever see her . The girl in the chair next to her still had her cape on and sat under the dryer. As she checked her surroundings to hide from any embarrassment they caught eyes and she made a giggle to herself looking at her. Anne hoped this all happened fast and they could get out of there.
She started to comb her hair and Anne closed her eyes trying to relax. She stopped combing her hair and Anne heard her give two clicks of her scissors. Then everything happened so fast. She opened her eyes as she started cutting and she was cutting it off nearly at my scalp. She was fast in her work and my heart skipped a beat but that single beat must have been 5 snips of the scissors. Anne's jaw dropped at she saw the wet blonde hair hit the white gown. She looked aghast at herself in the mirror. She was cutting it all haphazardly, just chopping away and throwning the loose hairs on my cape. Anne looked over at my boyfriend desperately, trying to plead to him with her eyes. Could he help stop this? Could he translate that she didn't want this? But when she looked over he and the stylist were both looking at her giggling. Her boyfriend gave her a thumbs up. 'Oh my god' shr thought, 'my boyfriend tricked me into this haircut."
The stylist continued chomping through her hair until there was less than a centimetre anywhere. Then she pulled out the clippers. Had Hiroshi asked for this? Then the clippers turned out and before she could say something to get out of this nightmare the stylist pushed her head forward and she felt the vibrations at her neck shearing away at what was left of my hair. Two of the stylists in the salon came over. They stared talking to the stylist and she could tell they were giving her compliments "Terrific job" would probably be the translation. Anne kept her head down staring at the mound of hair in her cape covered lap. she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair shorn away. Anne wanted to cry in front of all these japanese girls watching her.
When the stylist was finally done buzzing away her sides I could see my boyfriend making a waving motion to the stylist. The stylist then said something to her but she didn't understand her. Then she tapped her on the back and she realised she was asking her to stand up. She got up carefully with the cape on, watching as it slid off the chair. It was a walk of shame. Her boyfriend was beckoning her over for inspection like a doll. She walked down the aisle past the girls in their chairs and enveloping capes and they looked at her in their mirrors.
When she arrived at Hiroshi he was squeezing. "Oh my god you look so cute! this is such a great cut". He was sitting now under a dryer still caped. He motioned for her to lean forward. Anne bent down and she ran her hands over the sides and top. "hmm" she said then broke out in japanese to the stylist. Then the stylist spoke to her and she realised she was patting the chair next to Hiroshi encouraging her to sit down. Anne followed their instructions hoping this humiliation would be over soon. Hiroshi turned his hair to face her as he looked at her shorn head in the mirror. Thats when she realised her stylist had the clippers back in her hand. She looked over fast at Hiroshi who was facing her and he was smiling ear to ear. Anne guess he has a thing for short haired Girls. The clippers didn't have any guard on them and she pushed them against her head. Anne saw as any remaining hair she had on her sides or back was removed down to the scalp.
When she was done scalping me and her shoulders were sufficiently covered in short hair slipping she turned her chair towards him. It was the silliest circumstances, both of them in the absurd overflowing gowns looking like aliens as he told someone in another language how to shear her head. Hiroshi nodded in approval and Anne was finally done.
At nearly the same time their capes were removed and gathered in a bunch and pulled off them like a magician revealing a surprise. Hiroshi nodded and paid and walked back into the sunny Tokyo day.