Nagoya and My New Haircut

Before I left for Japan, I was debating whether I should get a haircut and if I'd even have the time or be able to get an appointment. My friend then said to get a haircut in Japan because then I could say I got my hair cut in Japan. Well, I got a haircut in Japan.

A few weeks ago, I got to visit my friend, Noriko, in Nagoya. Nagoya is the third largest city in Japan and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to cut my hair before returning to the country town of Osa. To get to Nagoya, I took the superfast bullet train, the Shinkansen. It pulled up to the station platform for a few seconds before it took off again. Be forewarned: if you blink while waiting for your Shinkansen train, you will miss it. The same goes for getting off on your stop. As soon as your stop is announced, line up at the train door to get off because it stops for about 15 seconds before taking off again.

So, I told Noriko that I wanted to get my hair cut. She took me to the salon her mom goes to. I was nervous at first - a new hair salon, a new stylist, a language I don't speak. It all seemed like the worst case scenario for getting my hair cut. Hair is such a sensitive thing as far as looks are concerned. Anything else can look like shit - clothes, make-up - but if my hair looks like shit, I feel like shit. Hair snafus are traumatizing. Nagoya was the perfect place to get my hair cut, though, because Noriko was with me and she told the stylist what I wanted. While I was getting my hair washed, I held an intention in my gut that I was going to love my haircut, that I would get a stylist who loves his or her work, and that we would both be happy with my haircut. Voila! The owner of the salon cut my hair beautifully - he took the weight off, blended my layers nicely, and then had one of his other stylists finish with a hair iron for shine. It was perfect because afterward we were off to a private Tiffany & Co. party to preview the new winter collection.

Every season, Noriko gets a special invitation to private Tiffany & Co. parties to view and try on the new season's collection. The one that I went to had good food and it was lucky for me that I just got the new haircut because that was the only thing about me that fit in.

Seeing Noriko was so much fun. We've been able to see each other every few years during her visits to the U.S. This visit was special, though, because it was the first time I got to see her in Japan and stay with her family - very kind and generous people. Noriko and her brother took Roslynn and me to hot springs near Nagoya. Much fun and relaxation.

I told Noriko that my visit to Nagoya and spending time with her and her family has been the highlight of my trip to Japan. "Yeah, right," she said, but it's true.

And for one day I had a cute Japanese haircut. I still do, but I don't have a hair iron to keep it looking like I did when I walked out of the salon. When I get back to the States, my first set of business will be to get a hair iron.