About Us

A. Secret Garden is my brand and I'm joined by independent hairstylists from a co-working salon called Raguel to form an appointment based team. There are 6 stylists to run this salon space currently. I usually take Secret Garden appointments by myself as far as I am available. When there are overlapping appointments, the associated stylists are brought in in conjunction with their availability. Most of colour works, challenging cuts and quality cuts will be assigned to me and shorter-time appointments can be taken by the teams. Clients are able to request any stylists (including myself) for repeated appointments. The team stylists are all experienced Japanese stylists from top salons in Tokyo. When a team stylist takes care of your appointment, I'll attend the consultation and help communication between you and the stylist. About myself, I consider myself as a senior stylist at the international levels based on my experience in the UK and US. Regardless the team stylists or I take care of your service, I am responsible for the result of every appointment at Secret Garden.

A. No, we are not able to take walk-in customers. Please make an appointment first. In 2024, we regrettably turned down more than 100 walk-in customers totally and we took zero walk-in customer. Calling us or popping an email/text, telling what+when you want are the fastest ways for you to have your hair done at us even if it's last-minutes.

A. English please.

A. As rough guidelines, 6 pm for a haircut and a root colour, 5:30 pm for 1/4 head highlights, 5 pm for 1/2 head highlights and a full-length colour, 4 pm for full-head highlights and bleaches. Closing/opening times can be adjusted by prior arrangements and notifications.

In the emergency cases such as colour correction, we can move the hours more flexibly as long as there's no other clients booked. I'll find your/my availabilities and your hair needs as we communicate on the phone/texts and can tell you time estimates and make suggestions.

A. Yes. Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club, JCB credit cards are accepted. BUT we are not able to process tap to pays for American Express and Diners, please bring your physical card if you use those two companies. Visa, Masters are available with tap to pay. 

We cannot accept Paypay, railway payments and all types of non-credit electric payments.

A. Yes, you can.

A. Yes, of course. I've been doing kids' hair almost from the beginning of my career. I think children teach me a lot and doing kids' hair helps me improve as a hairstylist.

If you bring two or more kids together, I usually finish them one by one. In the case if they can't wait, I can enlist a stylist from the team. I can do kids' colour as long as their environment and the parents are okay about it. I strictly follow to what extent they want and I can offer advice and various ways for achieving the style for the person's inspired.

A. I'm so sorry, we don't do refunds. But we do offer free re-appointments to try our best to adjust the result.

Firstly, not to let such a situation happen, we have the consultation and discuss what you want and what your hair can have. We plan the cut/colours and think forward what you need to know before starting the work. To make it easier for you to know the result, procedures, price and time and everything, I'll guid you and try to be thoughtful, practical and honest. I've been doing people's hair for years and I usually can spot when you're not understanding or having difficulty to decide what to do, and usually there are ways to work through for a beautiful result.

Even though after all these efforts, misunderstanding and misinterpretation can happen. If that's the case, our team and I offer a free-charge re-working appointment if you let us know within 7 days. Upon your contact/message, we can arrange the re-appointment at your+our available time. We don't set a time limit for your re-visit but I assume that sooner is better for you. Likewise the first appointment, we will listen to you and examine the initial outcome to find out how you'd like to see it and in what way the hair result can be shifted into.

We're always happy to work again till you reach your goal. If there is an additional service that is not pertinent to the result fixing during the re-appointment, we may ask you to cover only for that part.

A.

• Work quality - Although a subjective statement, there is preparation made for work environment and the appointment system for the best work possible. I do not overlap appointments and fully focus on one client at a time. Many Japanese salons often juggle clients  and I don't think that's the best way to conduct the most client-oriented performance.

• 100% international customers - I've been making my living out of doing non-Japanese people's hair over two decades. I think I've been typecast and I can't brag about this but it's a fact that reflects my expertise and that I've been committed to working with international hair day in day out throughout my career.

• Experience within internationals - Going beyond the debate on doing international or Asian hair. Most of times, doing someone's hair is not one-off and there are continuity and responsibility. To do one person's hair, you need to know everything. From short-term trouble shootings to long-term planning, a stylist needs to be capable of solving every challenge the customer faces and take in updates. Clients' hair changes as time goes. I believe that I have accumulated knowledge on what to do, what to advise and how to keep people's hair relevant to what they're in.

• Real clients - I have been working for clients of all different profiles. Some of them are executives and managers who have publicity responsibility. I still do young adults but I've been doing hair of many experienced adults where each person brings requirements to be fulfilled. I have gained experience in the areas that cannot be glossed over by posts or web representation.

• International products - I use international-hair-suitable products for colour work, hair care and styling. Many of them are sourced internationally. I cherry pick my products + tools myself for non-Japanese hair purpose. 

• British certified - I have NVQ2 and NVQ3 in UK hairdressing. The education modules cover essential and advanced areas of international hairdressing. Certificates are usually mandated by official suppliers overseas for product procurement too. My qualifications come from UK colleges and they aren't the same as ones from short courses like 6 months. I also have had many advanced and creative trainings for experienced stylists. 

• Fully English speaking for hair and everything - Speaking English is normal today. But you have to think fast and tell your thoughts in English to be a first-class stylist. You learn and absorb things in English. A salon manager in an English speaking city won't send someone on the floor if the person can't communicate well and treat customers professionally. A hairdresser can't learn hair or have high responsibility either if the one is below the threshold.

• UK's top salon trained and qualified - I was trained by a British Hairdresser of the Year for cut, and by a top Hollywood colourist for colour. I was beyond fortunate to receive a full training by the top people in the industry and have continued to work in the top market for further skill development. 

• 100% Western hair salon background - You need to be careful when Japanese stylists say 'international experience'. My hairdressing is British. Many Japanese stylists who claim international hairdressing often worked at Japanese hair salons or Asian friendly salons in Western cities. Those salons' clients are mostly Japanese/Asian and the stylists perform Japanese techniques there even outside Japan.

• Top stylist experience for non-Japanese hair in the UK (and the US) - Many Japanese hairdressers who stay overseas often work as an assistant, or attend hairdressing courses rather than actually being responsible for non-Asian hair. Japanese are reputed as excellent assistants but it's the stylist experience that counts. A hair school can't give a hairdresser the stylist experience.

• Bigger work experience - Teaching hair using English language in the western countries. Working as the Art Director for Japan branch of an international company, - performing stage demonstrations, designing and planning PR hair events. Doing hair of top Hollywood actors, fashion show backstages, editorial pictures. These varieties of experience and knowledge give great benefits to  salon performances.

• Our focus - We are lean and keep things simple in order to be close to our customers' needs. We try to eliminate ersatz of unnecessary things. We're all fast-pace learning and keep the salon's capability agile for local and international demands and trends.

• The salon's character - The salon location is convenient and the salon is usually not so packed but cozy. It has a bit of space between chairs. I believe that the team and I are working very well. Since the location is a bit away from big streets and expat-busy areas, the salon is relaxing and has a private feeling.

A. Yes, they are different in many ways. Although all human hair is biologically made in the same way, its structural variety gives a difference in texture. In general, Caucasian/African hair is finer than Asian's. But by isolating Japanese specifically. Japanese clients have strong preference for their style and cut, and consequently Japanese stylists cut and colour differently from Western hairdressers. (Japanese hairdressing is also different from that of Korea or China even today.) Japanese hair products (for colour, hair care) also differ from those in the international market even the same line from the same company with regard to ingredients/regulations and market preference. Most of major international hair care brands change consistencies of their products ( both salon and counter products) when they roll them out for Japan's market. This is one of reasons that colour services at Japanese hair salons are different from those at hair salons outside Japan. I think Japanese hairdressers are skilled and dedicated on the average and are experts when it comes to creating Japanese styles on Asian hair. 

A. All my clients have been foreign or mixed-Japanese since I started Secret Garden. However, the clients of the team stylists are mostly Japanese. The team stylists are independent technically and they have a bunch of Japanese clients of all ages. I am the person who is helped by them. 

My clients are excellent in variety in their hair and styles. My clients (or their partner) often work in the office, or have a job in Japan. I have technicians, researchers, bankers, lawyers, teachers and academics, government employees and business owners. There are executives as well as interns. I have exchange students and tourists too. Female/male ratio is about 75/25 these days. The age ratio: 40s and 30s are probably the most, then 50s, 20s and all others. The styles of my clients are eclectic. Many of my clients tend to choose work appropriate and practical styles.  At the same time, many of my clients change their mind and try something different in length, style and colour in a longer time frame. 

In terms of hair types, many of my clients have waves and curls naturally. Some of them have really straight hair and some have very tight coils or Afro-Caribbean mixed textures. I have many clients who have fine hair, including extra fine ones, and I'm constantly requested to make cuts and colours that really work with their hair. Occasionally, I have clients with incredibly dense hair, you won't believe it. I use suitable techniques/products for them. About clients' nationalities, many are from US, UK, Australia, other English speaking nations as well as European countries. Comparing to when Secret Garden started in 2014, I receive more and more coloured/mixed/Asian people in recent years. I guess my clientele mirrors to the global economy and Japan's international demographic. I enjoy very much learning my clients' country, their culture andhistory as well as engaging on topics like family, jobs, hobbies, exercise, food, holidays etc. through their international perspective.

A. Since Secret Garden started in 2014, neither I or stylists through Secret Garden's booking have had a Japanese customer yet. We're still waiting. I personally want to have something like 70% international, 30% Japanese. Let's see how we can develop. 

When I lived in London, many Japanese expats there were adamant to go to local Japanese hair salons, I think Japanese people are very selective in salons. I've had 7 Japanese clients in my entire career so far but I usually forget about this until someone asks. What I didn't expect was that many Japanese hairdressers (and their clients) seem being supportive of what I'm doing. I was encouraged many times by the people I have worked at the previous and current  premises. 

Most of our clients do not have typical Asian hair but I do have Asian clients who live or travel in Japan. There are some clients who grew up in Japan but whose hair is not Japanese type because of their family background. I think they switch languages and speak English or their family language at home. They may be legally Japanese, I don't know exactly, but my point is that their hair is not like traditional Japanese hair and these clients ask international skills when they come to me. So I think it's fair to say they are internationals from the hair salon's point.