Letter from Boston
Finding a Hairstylist
By MASAKO YAMADA
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美容師探し
気に入った美容院を見つけるのはなかなか難しいものです。特に、アメリカ在住の日本人の場合、髪質の違いなどを理解してくれる店を探さなければなりません。雅子さんがここ数年通っているのは、ボストンの中華街にある美容院です。先日、日本のファッション雑誌で希望の髪型を見つけ、切り抜きを持ってそこを訪れました。
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I recently met a young Japanese woman who moved to Boston five years ago to marry an American. She could barely speak English, but she met this man in Japan and she made the incredible decision to leave her home country soon after. The funny thing is, although she was bold enough to say good-bye to Japan, she could not say good-bye to Japanese hair-stylists.
I noticed her stylish hairdo and asked her where she
had her hair cut. She told me that she goes to a Japanese
stylist at a fashionable salon in Boston. She chooses
Japanese doctors and hairstylists because she can
communicate with them better. This is from the mouth of a
woman whose dear life partner is American. (Doesn't she
need to communicate with him?) It shows that hair cannot
be taken lightly!!
When I was a schoolgirl at the Japanese School of New
York, most of my friends had their hair cut at the
numerous Japanese salons in the area. Even those with
plain, straight hair went to these salons. I was
shocked to hear that they paid as much as $30 ( 3,210) to
have their hair trimmed straight across.
At the time, my siblings and I usually went to discount
chains, where clients wait in line for the next
available stylist. The cuts at these types of stores cost
less than $10 ( 1,070). Shampooing and blow-drying are
not included.
Ive grown beyond that, but not by much. I've tried
going to four or five Japanese hair salons, but I've
never gone to the same one twice. This is because I've
never felt comfortable at these salons. The stylists were
... a bit too stylish.
I've always felt awkward in these salons. This
has nothing to do with language, since I can convey
my ideas perfectly well in Japanese. It's more that I'm
intimidated by the mysterious, artistic demeanor of
Japanese stylists.
I'm sure they act that way to seem more
professional, but I prefer a more straightforward
relationship with people in the service industries. I
hate it when doctors, lawyers and teachers act with
overt pride, even though I know that many clients find
comfort in that kind of confident attitude.
That said, although I've also tried going to a
number of American salons on fashionable Newbury Street
in search of a more comfortable atmosphere, I've never
gone to the same salon twice there, either. I haven't
been happy with the cuts. They may look good on the
Caucasian models in Vogue magazine, but not on me.
For the past several years, I've settled into going
to Chinatown in Boston. One of my high school friends had
her hair done in New York's Chinatown and she told me
that it was very cheap but that she was embarrassed to
admit to her Japanese friends that she had her hair cut
there. Perhaps because I'm not an adolescent anymore, I
feel no such embarrassment.
What I like about this salon is that the stylists are
used to cutting thick, black hair in a way that
flatters Asian features. The particular salon that
I go to caters to a young crowd. There are neon
lights in the salon and TV sets blaring Chinese pop
music.
My stylist always used to ask me whether I wanted
blond highlights — I think a lot of his clients like
blond highlights — but he wouldn't push further when I
told him I just needed a plain cut. The salon's prices
are much lower than those at the Japanese salons in
Boston or the salons on Newbury Street, so I've been a
happy customer.
Of course, things are not always perfect, even at this
salon. I decided to get my hair permed today and I
showed the stylist a picture from a Japanese fashion
magazine. I basically wanted long, straight hair with
some loose curls at the end, something that looked
barely permed.
I ended up with a cross between suburban "mall
hair" from the '80s and the hairdo on the
stereotypical Asian heroine in B movies. It looked
like a minor explosion site. The stylist didn't follow
my request, and I had just reason to complain.
However, the fact is, I like the style. It looks
rough, and I think it suits me better than a cut copied
straight from a magazine. I'm genetically Japanese, but
my body language and facial expressions are different,
so I think my hairstyle should be different too.
Shukan ST: June 9, 2000
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