The Attention to Craftsmanship in Japan [vol. 1]
This is the first in a series in which a photographer from "aruci," a product line for artisans from the manufacturing group "waji," interviews and introduces fascinating artisans from around the country on the theme of "The Commitment of Japanese Artisans."
This time, we spoke with Mr. Umawatari, who operates a hair salon, restaurant, and apparel business in Kita-ku, Osaka. We explore the secret behind the large number of repeat customers and the fact that his staff all agree that it is an easy place to work.
Profile
Jiro Mawatari
He became independent at the unusually early age of 23, and as of 2023, he operates a hair salon, restaurant, and apparel business in Kita-ku, Osaka.
Became independent at age 23
---Interviewer (omitted)
The average age for hairdressers to become independent is said to be around 30, but could you tell us how you became independent at the early age of 23?
Mr. Mawatari (hereafter referred to as "honorifics omitted")
I started my career after graduating from high school, working at a beauty salon while taking a correspondence course to get my barber's license and become a stylist. After working there for about two years, someone was opening a new shop in Osaka and asked me to be the manager, but when I got there, it was completely different to what I had been told, and the investors were different... it was a complicated situation. In the end, the whole deal was scrapped and the shop was to close. They asked me to buy the shop, and I took over the owner's debts and went independent.
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At the age of 23, you took over debts and became independent.... Were you worried or scared?
Madara
I was young at the time, so rather than feeling anxious, I was just excited about having my own shop.
Diversified management
--- <br>Please tell us how you came to start not only a hair salon but also a food and beverage and apparel business.
Madara
I ran just the salon for about five years, but because I was open quite late into the night, people thought it would be boring to just serve coffee after work, so I started serving canned beer, and as an offshoot of that, I started holding a sort of cocktail party once a month in the shop.
The feedback from my customers gave me encouragement, and before I became a hairdresser I was debating whether to go into the apparel industry, the food service industry, or become a hairdresser, but now I've decided to try all of them.
Fellow staff
--- <br>It must have been extremely difficult to get everything up and running, but did you feel any anxiety?
Madara
When we decided to start a food service and apparel business, the staff at the beauty salon had experience in these fields, so we thought, "Well, we can do that," and started.
--- <br>Do you think it would be possible if there was someone with experience?
Madara
All of our staff were hired by our customers and love Corsair, so we really trust them and have never said anything to them other than their technical skills as hairdressers. It's all about trust and enthusiasm.
Commitment to work
--- Please tell us about the common aspects of your work in the hair salon, food service, and apparel industries.
Madara
It may sound strange to call it my ideal customer, but I have an image of the kind of lifestyle I want them to live: "stress-free," "casual," and "playful." When it comes to hair, I don't want them to spend time styling it every day. I want it to look cool even if I style it roughly, and to achieve that, I need high-level cutting skills, so I don't compromise on my technique.
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All of the staff members have said that it is an easy place to work, but is there anything you keep in mind when creating a good working environment?
Madara
It's connected to a "stress-free lifestyle," and I think the same of my staff, and I never interfere with anything other than technical matters. I don't think I'm particular about things. I'm particular about things that I'm not particular about, haha. I also try to keep my mood consistent.
Worldview
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Although he says he doesn't have any particular preferences, I can sense his attention to detail in his Instagram work and interior design.
Umawatari : I try to incorporate a variety of opinions, values, and sensibilities, and I make sure to be exposed to movies, music, and works by artists both from Japan and abroad.
For the interior, I was introduced to an artist called moi.toi., who I used to make my wedding ring, and he introduced me to an artist called Hatano Wataru, who creates works using washi paper, and I asked HIRAMATSUGUMI, who has a gallery on Awaji Island and works with him, to do the work.All three of them have great taste, and I try to absorb different tastes through connections with people who create works that I like and come into contact with a lot of good things.
Although I am exposed to a variety of things, I always try to output my work in a worldview that I like.
Core salon strengths
--- <br>Please tell us about the core strengths of your salon.
Madara
Speaking of salons, we do extremely strong perms. The rods (the tools used to curl hair when perming) are completely different in thickness to regular salons, and we use very fine ones, and the chemicals are very gentle, so we can use them on people who have bleached or curly hair, and we can do it at the same time as coloring, and because we apply the perm in small increments from the roots, it lasts a long time. This naturally gained a reputation through word of mouth, and I felt like I started paying more attention to it.
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Are there a lot of customers who come for perms?
Umawatari : That's right. I think it's a lot more than a regular hair salon. There have been a few times when perm sales have surpassed color sales. I think color sales usually outnumber hair color sales. We have people who come to us because their hair is too damaged and they've been turned down by two or three other salons, so they're very happy.
The secret behind the large number of repeat customers
--- <br>I hear you have a very high repeat customer rate, what's the secret?
Umawatari : First and foremost, of course, is technique, but then there's customer service, right? One of our themes is "stress-free," so we try to be as natural as possible. We try not to change our attitude depending on the person or their position. We try to make sure that we and our customers are "stress-free."
----
I was surprised by the contrast between the coolness of the isntagram and interior design and the homey personalities of the staff, including Mawatari-san. The content posted on social media is sophisticated and gives the impression of being intimidating, so are you intentionally trying not to give off a homey feeling?
Madara
The comfort of the space is ultimately something that customers feel, so there's nothing more false than saying "we're on good terms," and we are craftsmen after all, so at the core of our desire is to create "cool things." So we'd be happy if you could actually come and experience it for yourself.
--- <br>I also hope that readers of this article will experience the gap between the worldview of "hair salons," "food and beverage," and "apparel" and the personalities of the staff. Thank you.
Madara
thank you.
Please feel free to visit us.
Afterword
In this first installment of the series, I was unsure what to do when he said, "I don't really have any particular preferences, haha," but contrary to his words, I could sense that he was particular about every aspect of the space he creates and the services he provides.
It seems that everything we talked about was connected by the concept of "stress-free," which Mr. Umawatari values. There is much to learn from his personality, which never forgets to have fun even in situations that at first glance seem difficult.
I saw and felt the gap between the attention to detail that goes into the service they provide and the natural customer service, and I can understand why they have so many repeat customers.
It's difficult to be tolerant of good things and the opinions of others, and it's even more difficult to be tolerant and use them as nourishment without losing your focus. It's a sobering experience for me as a creator.
In aruci products
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Please tell us your thoughts on aruci products.
Umawatari : As I mentioned in today's interview, I really value being "stress-free," and in that sense, I feel that aruci's products put very little strain on the body.
The genuine leather aprons (washable leather aprons) are so light that it's hard to believe they're made of genuine leather. The bottoms of aruci's aprons are shaped like hakama (Japanese trousers), so they don't feel tight when you sit on a chair or climb steps. And even though they're made of leather, they're water-resistant, which gives the impression that they've really thought about the artisans who use water when making them.
![[Expressing the essence] What popular florists keep in mind to exceed high expectations.](http://aruci.jp/cdn/shop/articles/image-619954_400x.jpg?v=1693334107)
![[Diversified management of hairdressers] The only concept that leads to a large number of repeat customers and a comfortable workplace](http://aruci.jp/cdn/shop/articles/1-887444_400x.jpg?v=1690019676)
