Tokoya

Tokoya is the word in Japanese for a barbershop for men. Biyoin (not to be confused with byoin or hospital) is a beauty parlor for women, but that's another story.

The master barber at Kuroki barber shop

This is the front of the barbershop I visited for a shave and a haircut. As I said, the word for barbershop is tokoya but right under the O and K in the name, above, is "hea- salon kuroki" (Hair Salon Kuroki) in Katakana, the characters used for transliteration of foreign language words to Japanese. So even though tokoya is the old word that doesn't mean it's always used today.

I was going to get a haircut and beard trim but when I saw the barber using a straight razor on another client I decided I would go ahead with the full program for about $25.00.

Straight razor at work trimming the neck line.

My haircut started with a short cut on top, a really short cut on the sides and back, a trim around the ears and neck followed by the shave. The straight razor shave was the first I've had since I was stationed near here in 1960 when I could get a shave and a haircut at the base barbershop for thirty-five cents.

I felt like a new man.

 The close haircut is what I've been getting for the past few years but the clean shaven face is a first since 1981. 

The shave started with hot towels piled high then some kind of cream rubbed on and then the shaving foam brushed on with what looked like an old fashioned horse hair brush. The straight razor was so sharp and the hand of the barber so skilled I hardly felt the beard being removed.

A little gadget for trimming ear hair

Portable shampoo basin in place.

I was fascinated by the shampoo basin on wheels. I suppose they might be used in the States but I've never seen one. When it comes time for the shampoo the basin is wheeled to the back of the chair and plugged into plumbing built into the floor.

Cover swivels off the concealed floor plumbing

A push of the baber's foot connects to basin to the floor plumbing.

After the shampoo came a scalp and shoulder massage. As I waited for my nephew to finish up I was served green tea and some rice crackers.

If it weren't such a long commute I'd go back every month for a shave and a haircut.