Why the 1-hour haircut?

I'm curious about the way hairdressers cut men's hair in Japan.

1. Why do they take so long (up to an hour for the full wash, cut, massage, etc.) to cut hair? The actual cutting seems to be done mostly with the smallest pair of scissors possible and single hair by single hair. Really overdoing it, no? In my home country the hairdresser could probably do 2-3 customers in the time a Japanese hairdresser would do one.

2. Related to above, how on earth do they make a living at approximately one customer per hour at around 4,000 yen??

Because some people want more than just a quick haircut. They want quality work and additional service like a hair wash, hot towel and massage. Don't you have such hair salons in your country?

If you just want to get your hair cut as quickly as possible, go to a 10-minute barber shop, where you pay around 1000 yen per cut!

I agree with Uji. A few years ago I changed from the 2,500 yen local hairdresser to one in central Tokyo that charges about 6,000 yen. The haircut takes twice as long but it is a really good one, and to get a similar cut at a similar salon in my home country would cost at least twice as much.

I have heard that a cut at an upmarket salon in Japan is relatively cheap because of the sheer number of salons- competition keeps prices down.

By taking the time I suppose they hope you will become a regular customer.

As Uji says, there are plenty of 10-minute, 1000 yen places if you want a quick cut.

My haircut takes 15 minutes and costs 1500yen. Pretty much the same as I was paying back home in the US.

You have different places for different people. Just like how you can find a 3000hamburger at a restaurant or a 100yen hamburger at McDonalds.

Not to say my 1500yen haircut is bad, its perfectly fine with me.