Hollywood Beauty Salon was established 88 years ago by Ms. May Ushiyama, the pioneer of beauty business in Japan, it is now located in Roppongi Hills.

Ms. Ushiyama opened her first salon in Higashi Ginza, next to Kabukiza (Kabuki Theatre), however it was destroyed by Great Tokyo Air Raid (firebombing of Tokyo, March 10, 1945) during the Second World War.  After loosing the salon, she restarted her business in Ropongi.

She also opened a salon in Hiroshima after the war with the mission to contribute to the recovery of Hiroshima and its women after the atomic bomb. Currently there are two salons in operation in Hiroshima.

When I entered Hollywood Beauty Salon in Roppongi, I felt something special, which is coming from not only the scent of aroma but the atomosphere which is created by the staff working at the salon. To describe the atomosphere, “elegance” and “kindness” are the words.  It is a very relaxing environment different from the chaos of Roppongi.

I was welcomed by their beauty concierge, and walked into the salon.

“The age of our clients are from newborn baby to 104 years old.” As Ms. Kamata, the manager described, the salon is busy with different types of clients. A little girl with her grandmother waiting for her mother was one of them. More than half of their clientele are over 40 years old. Hollywood Beauty Salon offers not only hair care but also nail and esthetique treatments which very popular among “otona-no-josei” (matured adult women).

“We provide hair treatment based on our client’s life style instead of style in trend.”

As Ms. Kamata explains, the age of their staff vary from 20 to 77 years old, ready to provide right service to client with different age. The 77-year-old esthetitian is well known in the industry “God hands.”

“We are not just looking for the result of today, but looking for the result in long term, 10 – 20 years after.” Ms. Kamata continued.

The salon’s goal is inner beauty based on health, not only outside look.

Looking for “real beauty” and “inner beauty” are the keys for their success.

There is a garden outside of the salon with herbs and flowers. Japanese climate has clear four seasons that affect the condition of our skin. Ms. Ushiyama’s philosophy “inner beauty” exists here. We must take it in consideration that we are part of the nature and its climate.

The training of their staff is also the main reason for success.  Ms. Ushiyama thought her staff to learn cultures apart from techniques needed for her beauty salon. For example, their staff have lessons on flower arrangement, tea celemony, kitsuke (how to dress kimono), having a lecture by butler in Ginza how to treat customers in professional way, leaning about food and wine by sommelier, getting a tip how to write “love letter” by a scriptwriter, and so on. The training make their staff more cultured and matured as an individual that helps them to have better communication with their clients.

Each product used in the salon is something special and has a story behind.  For instance, every client has brushing their hair before shampoo, and the brush which is imported from France, costs 40,000 yen with real wild boar hair.  It was Ms. Ushiyama’s favorite brush when she was alive.  There are many clients visit the salon for shampoo and blow because of the brush.

Doing shampoo is also special here.  The salon has so called “shampoo sommelier” who has a degree of Scinence and give advices to their clients to select right shampoo for their hair, age, and seasons.

“Our salon wants to build a relationship with our clients all their life.  It is our pleasure to see our clients to be more beautiful over their ages.” Ms. Kamata said.

If you are looking for a salon for long term, probably for all your life, Hollywood Beauty Salon could be a place for you.

Hollywood Beauty Salon

Official Website

Text by Yumi Masuda