A circle of friends connected by gootouchi! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On November 2, Genki Mori, a barber at the barber shop “isel,” will appear. We asked him about what made him decide to become a barber, and why he has created his own unique barbershop, including holding events and introducing subscription.
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The main concept is to use more than just a regular barber shop
Celeina (MC): First of all, let me introduce Mr. Mori’s profile. Born in Hokkaido. After graduating from a barber and beauty school, he worked at a barber shop in Waseda for 14 years. After working freelance, he opened his own barber shop, isel, in Takadanobaba.
Takano (MC): We have a message from a person whose radio name is Makirante. He says, “The person on today’s “FIST BUMP” may possibly be from a place I’ve always wondered about: ……. The sign is a small brown piece of wood with silky writing on it, but I couldn’t tell what it said because it was so stylish. But the name of the restaurant sounds just like the letters on the sign, so I’m waiting for the broadcast with a sense of excitement. Is it written smoothly on a wooden signboard?
Mori: Yes, it is. I think it’s probably our house, so please stop by.
Takano: You say it’s a place you are interested in. Thank you for your message.
Celeina: Now, about isel, which is run by Mr. Mori, what made you decide to become a barber?
Mori: I started cutting my own hair when I was in junior high school. When I became a high school student, I started cutting my friends’ hair, and that was the beginning.
Celeina: Did you get your hair cut at school?
Mori: I used to invite them over to my house and cut their hair.
Celeina:And now you have opened isel in Takadanobaba.
Mori: Normally, barbershops are just for getting a haircut, but I had the main concept of making it more than just a regular barber shop by planning events and introducing a subscription menu.
Takano: What kind of events do you do?
Mori: We have invited a coffee shop to hold an event, or we invite a sushi restaurant, or we invite everyone to watch a movie while drinking wine.
Celeina: Very stylish.
Takano: Can anyone participate?
Mori: Of course. Some events have a limited number of people, while others allow anyone to come. There are often people I know who would like to go, but have already decided where they want to get their hair cut. I think it’s a shame that these people can’t come to us.
If there are many people who come to our store, even if it is just to show up at an event or in that way, they can connect with my customers and acquaintances there, which will expand the circle of people and make everyone’s days more enjoyable.
Celeina: With isel as a base, a community is being formed.
Mori: I think it would be great if it were to become a community.
Takano: Also, the barber shop is like software. It’s interesting that you can change things around.
Mori: That’s why when we built the store from the beginning, we made it possible to move all the chairs and counters around and make it look any way you want.
Takano: For example, you could invite a DJ and VJ to cut hair while playing a video.
Mori: Not at all, we can do anything.
Takano: How about that kind of project? But we can do all kinds of collaborations like that.
Mori: We can also do galleries. For an artist who works hard and rents a gallery, it costs a lot of money, but I can do it in a barber shop. But I make my living as a barber and pay rent, so I think it would be great if we could support artists to make our gallery their first step as a place to showcase their works.
Takano: For artists and creators, it is really nice to have such a place.
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Introducing a barbershop one-month unlimited subscriptions
Celeina：I have heard about isel so far, but what I am wondering is that you only have one seat. Is there any particularity here?
Mori: In large beauty salons, priority is given to turnover, but I believe that this leads to a decline in customer satisfaction. I don’t want to lower that satisfaction level too much, so I work alone and keep my business hours a little longer, which I think is better for the customer’s comfort.
Celeina：That’s good. So quality is better than quantity.
Mori: Yes, that’s right.
Celeina：Although it is a barber shop, do you have female customers as well?
Mori: Yes, we do.
Takano: I’m curious about the subscription. What kind of menu do you have?
Mori: We offer a one-month unlimited subscription. For example, you can go just for a shampoo, or just for a shave, and of course you can have your hair colored.
Takano: Or just to get your eyebrows done?
Mori: Yes, I can.
Takano: That sounds great.
Celeina: Is there a limit to the number of times I can go?
Mori: For the time being, no. I might make some more when I’m fully booked, but for now I’m totally fine with it.
Takano: It would be very nice to be able to shampoo only.
Celeina: Especially for women with long hair like me, shampooing alone takes up a lot of time in a day. If I can ask for such a service, I can do some work or relax during that time, right?
Mori: That’s right. Having such a place makes my daily life a little richer. Also, women, in particular, tend to choose a haircut that is about 1 cm shorter than they would like, so that they can cut it off in a month’s time.
Celeina: You compromise on the hairstyle, don’t you?
Mori: But if I can cut just the bangs one more time in a week or two, I can always have my hair the length I want.
Celeina: That’s a great way to scratch an itch.
Takano: I also have a problem with my fringe growing too fast. So when I want to cut just my fringe, it’s nice to be able to solve the problem with a subscription. They also offer hand-drip coffee after the cut.
