JD's

Stopped in for a quick clean up and indulged in a hot shave (which in total cost 60 bucks?! what the..) before heading back to my $1.50 ghetto cuts in Shanghai. Looks like that guy could do with a trim on that 'stache and ponytail too.

My Hood - The Barber Shop

This is where I get my hair cut. It's not exactly the cleanest place, but they are super steady with the clippers, and can even line you up.

No offers of cafe lattes and magazines to read here. It's just straight into the chair and down to business.

After the cut, they wash your hair while you're still sitting upright. They somehow manage to put just enough shampoo and water on your head to create a lather without any of it dripping. And then they go to town with their fingernails!! It's f*cking PAINFUL! Feels like they're clawing your scalp open with one of these.

Then over to the sink where you lean over the basin and they wash out the suds. It's like I'm a kid again when my mom used to cut my hair.

Back into the chair where you're fully reclined for the shave. Hot towels, lather, and then the straight razor. I'm usually pretty nervous, cuz they are so damn fast with that blade, but I am still here typing, so they haven't managed to slit my throat yet..

In the rear of the shop, sometimes there's a bunch of old guys playing mah jong under a haze of cigarette smoke. People often just stop in to shoot the sh*t, or check out what's on tv. It's a very social place, like the old school barber shops in the U.S.

It costs $1.40 for the cut & shampoo, add an extra 30¢ for the shave. Bargain.

Cold Cut's

I stumbled upon this dope barber shop as I was strolling around Tokyo today. It's owned by this super cool chic Maya, whose concept is to bring that true New York barber shop culture to Japan.

Daku, their main barber, is legit. He's an award-winning technical barber and graphic artist, who spent time coming up in NYC. He's also a creative advisor for HOPE 81, a non-profit organization which includes athletes, artists, and activists, innovating for environmental sustainability, global poverty relief, and grassroots basketball player development. Big props.

Maya herself also spent a number of years living in New York before recently moving back to Tokyo. She wants the shop to be a space not just for haircuts, but a creative hub for local street brands, designers, artists, and musicians. So whether you're in need of a quick cut or line-up, or just want to kick it and see who comes through, stop by.

Cold Cut's is located at:

Yokokura Bldg, 1F, 3-8 Sakuragaoko-cho

Shibuya-ku

Tel: 03-5458-0308

If you're familiar with Tokyo, it's between Shibuya and Daikanyama, on that street that runs along the train tracks.

Link to their blog here.

Better Than Rambo Getting Shaved Dry

I had a week's worth of stubble that needed to come off, so I thought I'd see what a local Japanese barber shop was all about.  There just happened to be one right around the corner, so why not?

Walking in, it had the sterile scent of a hospital, and one look at the equipment, and you knew that this mom 'n' pop joint was old skool.

Apart from the fact that they shaved my whole face! (I kept worrying that it would grow back thicker??) - other than that, it was a pretty relaxing experience, but not cheap - ¥2000 (U.S.$20).

Fix Your Fade?

Old skool barber shop I found as we were walking around one night in Beijing.