Returning to 'Quiet', Clear Blue

Hello.

I believe our salon is a place where you can enjoy a quiet space.

I think everyone who has visited feels this way. The color scheme uses natural tones that are easy on the eyes, the space is laid out generously, and there are rarely many people around. By mixing in appropriate, pleasant background music and intentional white noise from a circulator, I believe a 'quiet space' is one of our selling points.

Our staff also adjust their speaking voices to be soft (I also speak using my mouth rather than from my diaphragm) to ensure everyone can spend their time comfortably. As a public space, our staff try to stay attentive even within the salon. However, the 'quiet, wonderful space' we envision is something that is perhaps even more important within one's own feelings.

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I recently learned that the character for 'quiet' (sei) carries the meanings of 'not competing with others' and 'a still state like clear, blue water.' It means not getting too caught up in comparing yourself to others, and stopping for a moment.

It feels like facing oneself, and I felt it overlapped with the sensibilities I have cherished as a hairdresser. It is easy to think that a hairdresser's job is only to tidy up appearances. However, I believe it is also a place to create 'time to stop for a moment.' The time spent cutting hair. The time spent sitting in front of the mirror. If you can step away from the flow of daily life, even just for that duration, perhaps that alone has value. What we cherish might be the stillness flowing through the space rather than any clear assertion. Rather than pushing something strongly, I hope that when you leave, your feelings are just a little more relaxed than when you entered the salon.

I stand in the salon thinking that such things are also fine. ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ When facing a customer, even without speaking, there are moments when I feel, 'I wonder if they have been keeping their guard up for a long time,' based on their way of speaking, their expression, or the atmosphere when they sit in the chair.

It is a very small thing, but sometimes the weight of the time that person has carried suddenly comes across. One day, while working on a long-time regular customer, there was a period where we barely spoke. It wasn't that anything special happened; it was just that words naturally became fewer. With only the music and the sound of scissors flowing, there was a sense that neither of us was forcing anything. As they were leaving, the customer said to me, 'It's comfortable here even without forcing conversation,' and 'Maybe I just wanted to zone out a little today.' When I heard those words, I felt happy not because I had provided something, but because we had shared the same stillness. Since then, I have become conscious of a 'relationship where we can share quietness.' Talking a lot is not the only form of trust; perhaps being able to remain calm even in silence is also a form of relationship. I started to feel the customer better, thinking things like, 'Is it okay to talk now?', 'They seem to feel like the conversation is getting long,' or 'They seem to have more they want to say.' That is why I try not to force myself to fill the silence.

But it is quite difficult; it is hard to read. Of course, there are times when conversation naturally emerges even after being silent, and that is also very good and something I cherish. However, I try not to break the atmosphere where it is okay not to speak. I feel that doing so sometimes allows that person's own rhythm to return. ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ When spending time in a quiet sense, one's breathing naturally becomes a little deeper, and expressions soften. I feel that these changes often appear in the air and the pauses before they appear in words. The time spent grooming hair is the time that person has accumulated. Perhaps it is a time of margin where their true self naturally returns, without needing to force any part of that to change. There are days when I feel I could have interacted differently or that I didn't do well, and I ponder over it. One thing is certain: the margin of quiet is something everyone should try to cherish. You can always feel comfortable. I stand in the salon today hoping that I can provide or share even a little of that. I believe this is also the reason why we have been able to continue in Omotesando for about nine years without using any advertisements, coupons, or discounts, relying only on referrals and repeat customers.

I am truly grateful.

Thank you, as always.

Thank you for reading until the end.

Have a good day today.