“Tamura Hair Salon,” next to Yata Post Office in Mabi, Kurashiki City, is apparently a beauty salon that has been operating in Mabi for half a century.
When you enter the salon, you are greeted by the cheerful voice of Tamura Akemi, who runs it, saying, “Welcome!”
Ms. Tamura took over the “Tamura Hair Salon,” where she had worked as an employee at the time.
She moved the salon to the neighboring lot where the original Tamura Hair Salon had been and has run it alone for 27 years.
Customers range in age from their teens to their 90s, and some have been coming since the previous owner’s time.
Most customers are from Mabi, and many come through connections with other customers.
Tamura Hair Salon was also affected by the heavy rains in July 2018.
Thinking, “I have to keep going” for the elderly with nowhere to go and for customers from Mabi, she reopened the salon two months later.
We spoke with her about what makes Tamura Hair Salon, a gathering place for local people, special, and about Tamura Akemi’s thoughts.
The information provided was current when this article was published in July 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of Tamura Hair Salon
Tamura Hair Salon is a beauty salon in Mabi, Kurashiki City.
Cross Kurashiki Ohashi Bridge near AEON MALL Kurashiki, and you’ll find it about a 15-minute drive away, amid expansive rural scenery.
Services include haircuts, coloring, and perms.
Apparently, Ms. Tamura keeps all the services and prices in her head.
Customers describe the hairstyle they have in mind at the salon, and Ms. Tamura checks with them as she works.
Interior of Tamura Hair Salon
Since Ms. Tamura runs Tamura Hair Salon by herself, there are two customer seats.
There is also a waiting area, so you can wait if you arrive early.
When you sit in the waiting area, Ms. Tamura will strike up a conversation, making the wait a pleasant one.
Customers also sometimes get into lively conversations with one another.
Sometimes a customer will suddenly drop by, saying, “I brought you a little something.”
The salon has an old-fashioned atmosphere that brings back fond memories.
We spoke with Tamura Akemi, the owner of Tamura Hair Salon, where local people casually drop in.
Interview with Tamura Akemi of community-rooted “Tamura Hair Salon”
Did you always want to become a hairdresser, Ms. Tamura?
Tamura (honorific omitted)
Actually, I think I followed through on a dream I’d had since I was little.
When I was little, I was always playing with my dolls’ hair.
I also liked styling my friends’ hair and did it often.
When my family saw how much I enjoyed touching hair, they would tell me, “You should become a hairdresser.”
In elementary school, we had a class assignment to write down the job we wanted, and I think I had already written “hairdresser.”
By the time I was in junior high, I was cutting my own hair.
By then, my desire to become a hairdresser had grown strong.
The path to becoming a hairdresser
What path did you take to become the hairdresser you dreamed of being?
Tamura
Back then, you could get a hairdresser’s license after working as an apprentice at a beauty salon for several years.
I actually wanted to skip high school and work as a hairdresser’s apprentice.
But my parents encouraged me to go, so I went on to high school.
After graduating, I started working as an apprentice at a beauty salon and trained for two years.
I gained experience while working, then took a special course that was offered at the time and set out on the path to becoming the hairdresser I had dreamed of being.
Did you work at Tamura Hair Salon from the time you were an apprentice?
Tamura
Actually, I was an apprentice at a different beauty salon.
I met my husband while I was an apprentice, and we got married. The beauty salon run by my mother-in-law, whom I married into the family of, was Tamura Hair Salon.
My mother-in-law had worked as a hairdresser in Osaka Prefecture, but she returned to her hometown of Mabi and opened the salon.
After getting my hairdresser’s license, I started working part-time at Tamura Hair Salon.
I was working while raising children, so they let me work at my own pace.
But one day, my mother-in-law fell ill.
I thought that if things continued as they were, the customers who came to the salon would have nowhere to go, so I took over Tamura Hair Salon as her successor.
When I took over, I moved the salon to the vacant lot next door.
I thought about changing the name, but decided to keep it as Tamura Hair Salon.
The reason was to make it easy for the customers who had come to see my mother-in-law to keep coming.
What makes Tamura Hair Salon special
What kinds of customers come to the salon?
Tamura
Most of our customers are over 50, and nearly all of them live in Mabi.
Sometimes customers in their 80s or 90s come in, too.
That’s because my mother-in-law’s customers have continued coming to Tamura Hair Salon all this time.
No matter how old they get, customers want to look stylish, and as a hairdresser, I help make that happen.
While chatting with customers about things like “What service would you like?” or “I know a shampoo I recommend,” I cut and style their hair.
Younger people come in too, but many are referred by people I know or through my connections.
Since I run the salon alone, most of my customers are women.
Men come in occasionally, mainly my son’s friends.
I also style and care for regular customers’ hair to suit their preferences.
Things unique to Tamura Hair Salon, rooted in the local community
You’ve run a beauty salon in Mabi for a long time. Are there any things that are unique to the local community?
Tamura
Regular customers drop by casually.
Some bring grapes, while others bring bamboo shoots and ask, “Would you like some cooked bamboo shoots?”
A customer might say, “I’ll read a book before I head home,” and while they’re reading, conversations sometimes start up between customers.
Since elderly people come in too, they sometimes share traditional cooking methods and tips for seasoning food.
Another thing you only see locally is people coming in after farm work, still wearing their rubber boots, and saying, “I’m here for my appointment.”
Actually, the number of elderly customers at Tamura Hair Salon increased after the heavy rains in July 2018.
It was a time when I was working frantically after hearing from elderly people who had nowhere to go.
I may not be able to do anything, but I can listen to my customers.
I made a space where regular customers could talk about what they thought and felt.
It sounds like those were four years of working frantically. Could you tell us about your experience, Ms. Tamura?
Tamura
It was hard at the time, but looking back, I got through it.
It was like having superhuman strength in a crisis.
Both Tamura Hair Salon and my home were damaged.
Fortunately, my son’s friends came to volunteer, and the salon was ready to open in November 2018.
But regular customers told me, “I can’t go anywhere outside Mabi,” and “When will you open the salon?”
Their words made me suddenly realize what I needed to do.
I hurriedly asked the carpenter, “It’s fine to work on my home later, so what’s the earliest month the salon can be rebuilt?”
The carpenter said September at the earliest, so I decided to reopen the salon in September 2018.
At the time, I was acting on instinct, but somehow we managed to reopen in September.
While deciding on the salon’s interior, I wanted to put in things that customers needed.
People might imagine music playing in a beauty salon, but at Tamura Hair Salon, I installed a TV on a stand.
Some customers had no TV and didn’t know how to use a smartphone, so they were unable to get the information they needed.
I thought, what they needed then was a way to get information.
When there was nothing else I could do, I provided mobile hairdressing services at temporary housing.
I thought, “There are elderly people in Mabi with nowhere to go. The customers are waiting, too. I have to do something.”
I may have been thinking about what I could do for my customers and taking action.
Although we experienced the disaster, some people started coming to Tamura Hair Salon because of the heavy rains in July 2018.
I feel like I made new connections.
Ms. Tamura, who has kept the salon going through adversity
What moments do you find enjoyable as a hairdresser?
Tamura
I love being a hairdresser, so I enjoy seeing customers look beautiful and getting to see them.
If hairdressers take even a little time away from work, their hands lose their touch.
Also, products on the market change quickly, so new products are developed all the time.
Because there are customers who want to look beautiful, I can hone my skills as a hairdresser and research products.
I also get excited when customers call to make appointments.
I find myself thinking, “Tomorrow’s going to be busy!” or “One of my regular customers is coming in.”
As a hairdresser, I enjoy seeing customers become more beautiful.
Looking back, what do you think of your life as a hairdresser?
Tamura
I became the hairdresser I’d wanted to be since I was young.
Being a hairdresser is rewarding, and every day is fun because I get to talk with customers, too.
I’m happy that people from Mabi come to Tamura Hair Salon.
After working flat out for four years, I’d like to take a little time to rest now and then and continue enjoying my work as a hairdresser.
The story of Tamura Hair Salon
Tamura Hair Salon has been operating in Mabi, Kurashiki City, for half a century.
Ms. Tamura fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a hairdresser and enjoys her work.
Tamura Hair Salon helps customers fulfill their wish to look beautiful and stylish at any age.
While happily continuing her work, she experienced the heavy rains in July 2018 and continued steadfastly taking action to do what she could afterward.
At the interview, Ms. Tamura said, “Looking back, it was hard, but I got through it.” Those words made a strong impression on us.
No matter what, the customers who come to Tamura Hair Salon are always on Ms. Tamura’s mind.
When you visit Mabi, be sure to look for the Tamura Hair Salon sign.
Tamura Hair Salon Information
| Name | Tamura Hair Salon |
|---|---|
| Address | 863-3 Yata, Mabi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-698-1984 |
| Parking | Available |
| Business hours | 9:00 a.m. to around 5:00 p.m. ※Business hours may vary depending on the date and season |
| Closed | Monday and Sunday Closed on the first and third Sundays ※Business hours may vary depending on the date and season |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Advance reservations by phone are required |
| Seating | 2 seats Waiting area available |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Accessibility | Ramp |
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