【FOCUS IT.] A new landmark in Sasazuka. Why "Handsome," a barbershop by hair and makeup artist AMANO, aims to become a local community spot.

AMANO is a hair and makeup artist who works mainly for men's fashion media, advertising, and for various artists and actors. He opened his own barbershop "Handsome" in Sasazuka, Tokyo. The interior of the store has a nostalgic mood, giving the impression of a "barbershop. However, looking at the neon sign poles and photos displayed throughout the shop, one can see that AMANO's unique style is also firmly in place. What was AMANO's motivation behind the creation of this store? Let's ask him right away.

Photo_Sara Hashimoto
Text_TSUJI
Edit_Yosuke Ishii

Handsome is finished both in appearance and in mind.

Congratulations on the opening of your barber shop, "Handsome. When did you start thinking about opening a store?

AMANO: Thank you very much. I started out as a hairdresser and then became a hair/make-up artist, but after a few years of being independent, I began to think that I wanted to own my own salon in the future. I had a longing to be a barber.

I see more and more barbershop these days.

AMANO: That's right. More than 10 years ago, I learned about the popularity of barber culture in London and other places, and from that time on, I was absolutely certain that this style would spread to Tokyo as well.

How did you come up with this timing?

AMANO: Actually, we started working on it about seven or eight years ago. However, even when I applied for a good property, other stores would come in, and I was never able to find a good match.

So you have been preparing for this for a long time.

AMANO: That's right. I found this property last year, thought it was nice, and applied for it, but there were about 7 other applications. But in the end, they chose me out of all of them, and we were finally able to sign a contract. Actually, the previous store also had a beauty salon, and I had always been interested in this place.

What kind of store did you have in mind?

AMANO: What I wanted to create was a town barbershop. (Holding up a photo book) There was a store in London called "Cuts," where all kinds of people gathered. Local men, children, and even well-known creators got their hair cut there. I always wanted to make it a place where people of all genders, not just men, could come. I always wanted to create a place where people of all genders, not just men, could come and chat with each other.

The exterior and interior are also somewhat nostalgic.

AMANO: I asked Mr. Yellowtail Oka of MOBLEY WORKS to design the store. It's an old-fashioned barbershop, with a bit of an American barbershop feel. The walls are basically made of plywood, but the counters and shelves are made of real wood. The ceiling is also made of materials that are often seen in barbershops, but we decided on it after talking about how barbershops used to be like in the olden days.

The barbershop's sign pole and the store's logo are also very particular.

AMANO: I asked a neon artist named WAKU to do the sign pole, and a silkscreen artist named IPMatter to do the logo.

You have a modern sensibility in such details while keeping the image of an old-fashioned barbershop.

AMANO: That's right. I consulted with a lot of people while making it, so it was a lot of work (laughs).

The name "Handsome" also sounds somewhat Showa-era.

AMANO: It has an exquisite tackiness (laughs). (laughs) It's a word that is not used at all nowadays, but I like it. We have pictures of various handsome people displayed in the store, and they are all very cool. I wanted to express something that is not only stylish on the outside, but also comes from the inside. I wanted to express that. I thought that handsome is someone who is finished in both appearance and spirit (laughs). That is quite the ultimate word, isn't it?

We want to create a style that is unique to the individual.

I would like to ask about specific services, but the difference between a hairdresser and a barber is whether they can do shaving or not.

AMANO: Yes, that's right. A barber also needs shaving skills. I originally only had a cosmetologist's license, so I obtained a barber's license while working as a hair and makeup artist. Shaving has the image of shaving, but in addition, it removes dead skin cells. That is why I recommend it to women as well. It also improves the foundation.

That's why you write "for all genders" on your restaurant's Instagram page.

AMANO: While I do hair and makeup work, I also cut hair for creators and actors I know. As I cut women's hair more and more often, I wanted these people to enjoy the atmosphere of a barbershop. I think it is a fresh experience for people who are used to going to beauty salons.

When I look at the photos of AMANO's hair and makeup, I get the impression that the mood is very natural or spontaneous.

AMANO: Originally, I liked to create things as works of art, but gradually I came to want to value the person in the photograph. If you create too much of a worldview, the personality of the model will not come out in the photographs. As I mentioned earlier, what comes out from the inside of a handsome person is also very important, and I want to create a style that brings out that person's personality.

AMANO：That's why I think communication is important. I want to know what kind of fashion you like, your cultural preferences in music and art, etc., and I want to decide on the style while talking with you anyway. Of course, we also welcome those who come to us with an image of what they would like.

Do you continue to work as a hair and make-up artist and receive customers at this store when you have time?

AMANO: That's right. There is another staff member from Barber's, and he will basically be at the store while I will be here when I am not working on a photo shoot. I would like to have at least one more staff member. There are more and more female barbers these days.

We would like to engage in cultural exchange with visitors.

You mentioned earlier that you had an image of a barbershop in town, and I feel that the location of Sasazuka also supports this image. What do you find attractive about this area?

AMANO: I have lived in Sasazuka for a long time, and even though it is in Shibuya Ward, it has a very local feel. It's a comfortable place to live, and you can be unpretentious. You can walk around dressed appropriately and still feel at home. I thought it might be possible to open a store in a fashionable town, but I was told by acquaintances that it "doesn't look like AMANO. Maybe it is conservative to open a store in a familiar town, but when I found this property, I thought it might be possible.

You want it to be a local store, but also a place where people who are involved in various fields, including work, can gather.

AMANO: While welcoming local residents, we also want people who have never been to a barbershop before and fashionable people to feel free to come visit us. I am excited to imagine young skaters and bicycle riders gathering here. I think this is the kind of store that will definitely be in demand in the future. I would also like to cut the hair of local school children. If that happens, I can really become a barber's uncle. That's why I want people of all ages to gather here. I would like to communicate with the people who come to the barbershop, and to promote cultural exchange.

You mean you want to get all kinds of ideas that way?

AMANO: That's right. For example, the energy and impulse of young people is amazing, so it would be fun to think together about what kind of hairstyle to wear. We were like that when we were teenagers. It would also be unique if these kids were connected with interesting men in the neighborhood. In American movies, important conversations that hold the key to the story are often had while getting a haircut at a barber's. That is how a barbershop is established as a community spot. That is because barbershops are established as community spots. I would like to make "Handsome" a place like that.