Japan’s World Barber Classic competition tries to bring back young male clients

TOKYO – Hundreds of rowdy spectators, many heavily tattooed, roared on July 14 at a Tokyo arena usually reserved for boxing – except the contestants were not athletes, but barbers.

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 said.

“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 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 of the competition.

“Our haircuts are often manly,” said the 29-year-old, whose neck and shaved head were covered in tattoos.

The competing barbers were tested on their self-expression, with each given a minute to woo the audience with a speech.

Barbers in Japan are renowned for their skill, Mr Yokota said, but were often viewed as lacking showmanship.

“I think hair is more than just hair,” added judge Giancarlo Burgos, who is from Los Angeles. “It’s a way of communicating yourself, but also connecting people. It’s a language that anybody can understand.”

Another contestant, Mr Takumasa Suzuki, 32, said 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.” AFP