Stylist Tanaka Satomi

The fashionable neighborhood of Daikanyama must have more salons in a one kilometer radius than any other place in Tokyo, perhaps the planet. So the opening, or closing, of yet another salon in this area doesn't cause much of a stir. Unless, that is, the salon happens to be as architecturally gorgeous and technically sound as Ash. Having opened its doors just this past July, Ash has already set itself apart from the neighbors with its spacious, bright interior done in stainless steel, cobalt blue and white, and its prime location in the Mediterranean-inspired Sun Rose building just down the street from Jean Paul Gaultier. Another beautiful salon in a fashionable neighborhood. So what's the news? you may be asking. The news is that at Ash you will find a bilingual staff trained at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in London and accomplished in methods of cutting, coloring and perming Western hair.

Tanaka Satomi, a stylist for Ash who lived and trained in London for almost five and a half years says, "The idea was to staff this location [the company that owns Ash also operates 21 salons around Tokyo] with as many highly qualified bilingual stylists as possible to create a salon that would cater to both a foreign and Japanese clientele in one place."

While Sassoon products are used on both Western and Japanese hair, Satomi quickly points out that the products used in coloring and perming Western hair are Koleston Perfect Coloring products ordered from London so they are formulated and applied with Western hair in mind.

Daikanyama Ash

Ash offers one more distinct advantage that is fading from the concept of service in other salons. "We [the stylists] work with a client from start to finish," Satomi informs me. "In other salons you will often have someone wash your hair and yet another person dry and style it. Here the stylist takes care of the client - we wash, cut, color, dry, whatever is required, because how else is the stylist really going to get to know the client's hair?" Besides the automatic hair washing machines that resemble my Toshiba clothes washer down to the automatic cycle buttons in orange, everything is hands-on by the stylist.

"I think what we offer here at Ash that sets us apart is a bilingual staff, total service and excellent products compatible to Western hair." Good enough for me.

To make an appointment with Satomi or one of the other three bilingual stylists contact Ash, 11-6 Sarugaku-cho, Sun Rose Daikanyama Bldg 2F, Shibuya-ku (03-3770-3755). Open 11am-7pm daily.