Nepenji Japan Center Beauty Clinic

This is a review for Christopher. I called and was trying to make an appointment but they said he quit and doesn’t know where he is. Please contact me as Christopher is the only person who knows how to handle my color! I don’t know what I’m gonna do without the only stylist I trust now ‚(

This place is horrible! I went in for a haircut, root touch up and eyebrow tint. The color of my roots turned out completely different than my hair color, the dye for my eyebrows which I was reassured many times that it will come off because it’s water-​based ended up all around my brows and still remains to this day (it’s been 5 days!). When I called over the manager, he thought it was funny and brought a bottle of acetone to rub it on my face. I was left speechless. They also charged me $ 245 when I was told it would be approx $ 100 – 130. Absolutely horrible!

Don’t go there because the guy with sunglasses (the old guy) will try to touch your breast when he cuts your hair. Also, his haircut was really bad. He don’t even know how to cut your bang. That guy is horrible. My friend also had this guy cut her hair and had exactly same problems.

This review is for salon owner and management in Japan not for the stylist that I’ve been going to for number of years.
I’ve been a faithful client of Japan Center Beauty Clinic ever since Michiaki started for many years. Until I met Michi, I was not able to find a stylist in SF bayarea that was able to give me a good cut, so since the first time I got a cut from him, I had so many different haircut, color, perm, straightening and all the other services.
I thought to keep the secret to myself. But I am writing now to express my nonacceptance to the unethical business practice to the owner and her ill-​treatment to her employees. I would give this place a 0 or negative score if I can.
With all of its ex-​stylist, this place used to be THE best hair salon I have ever found in the bay area. It was the stylists made this place THE BEST. I have just recently learned that she has treated her stylist bad and even threaten them when they fought back for their benefit. The end result is that many of her top stylists quit. I, as a consumer, will not accept this kind of management behavior and I will stop going there moving forward.
For all new customers, please tip your hairstylist in CASH because the owner will take a big chunk of your tip if you put on the credit card. I regret big time for I used to leave the tips on the credit card without realizing that most of my appreciation went to the wrong person.
I am so sad to see this happen…

I had a really great experience today. I decided to donate my hair for kids who need it and I went to Nepenji. Sho is a really great hairstylist and he is a wonderful person. I was nervous at first, but he knows exactly what he’s doing. Thanks to Sho. My new hair looks so amazing !! It’s one of the best haircut I’ve ever had.

Went to the salon for the first time last week. Michinori who cut my hair was professional and a great technical hair stylist. He definitely has a great sense of style. Very satisfied with the cut! Will be back again soon! Worth the drive up to SF.

Aya is AMAZING! I flew all the way from Los Angeles to have her cut my hair! She’s been cutting my hair for 8 years now and never disappoints. She did long layers and side swept bangs. VERY HAPPY with my haircut!

Aki the stylist always listens to what the customers have to say, and she does a great job giving me the cut I want, so I can feel completely satisfied.
This time, I got TREATMENT STRAIGHT, and it was also fantastic!
Before I visited her, my hair was dry and damaged, but after I got this TREATMENT STRAIGHT, my hair is super moist, silky smooth, and extremely shiny!
Before my hair was a little bit wavy, but after this TREATMENT STRAIGHT, my hair is perfectly straight.
Aki said these effects will stay for about 3 months, and she was right because my hair is still in amazing condition.
I really recommend Aki and this TREATMENT STRAIGHT.

This review is for Sho. Since I moved to the city I wanted to cut my very long hair ’cause the weather was making it so freezy, so I wasn’t sure where to go until I read all the good reviews for him and they weren’t wrong.
He’s an amazing hair stylist, very kind and talented, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with my hair and he gave me a perfect haircut.
This place tends to get really busy on weekends so make sure to get an appointment and ask for Sho, he’s awesome!

ATTN: Your regular hairstylist might not be here anymore. I’m giving it a 1-​star because Michiaki left.

Shout out to my home girl Keiko! First time getting a cut at this place and it sure as hell won’t be the last.
The place was poppin when I got there (Sunday afternoon) it looked like they added work stations in what previously appeared to be walk spaces (?). Nonetheless, the facility was clean and the reception was friendly.
Keiko is ¹⁰⁄₁₀! She is the perfect balance of listening to what you want and her opinions with results better than what you originally had in mind. Her extreme attention to detail and carefulness sets her apart from the rest. The way she looked at my hair-​calculating how it’d look best-​her face looked like she was solving a calculus equation. Cute :)
Only beef with this place was the price. Haircut, wash, shampoo, and blow dry summed up to be $ 50+
This place should be $$$

Ask for an experienced stylist when making an appointment. My $ 300 straight perm + cut is not straight, and the cut is the awfulest thing that has ever happened to my hair. This a week before my sister’s wedding, at which I’m a bride’s maid.
In the last hour of my three-​hour perm, my stylist told me that it’s possible that my hair «might come out a bit not-​so-​straight, like with a big wave.» WTF? What am I paying for, then? Why was I not advised of this earlier, if the perm is likely not going to stick?
I had also told the stylist I wanted bangs and showed her a picture for reference. As she cut my hair, she asked, «how much hair should I cut to create bangs?» Isn’t that your job to know?
Very disappointed. Will not be coming back.

I’m not a person who write review after visit somewhere. But it’s unbearable.
I had my hair perm about month ago but result is not so good. I can’t see any waves in my hair.
I asked to hair designer that you think there are waves then she said yes.
However, nobody realized that i got hair perm before i said.
I will upload before and after pictures.
I was so disappointed…

This review is for Sho. He was my hair stylist when he was working down here in San Diego, and I have to say he’s one of the best hair stylists I’ve had. I’m a very conservative person when it comes to hair treatment, and when I finally decided to get my greying hair fixed, he was very careful to make sure it was not a drastic color job, because I was new at it. He talked to me at length about options and when he finally got it done, even my husband loved it.
I’ve kept in touch with sho because i occasionally go to the Bay area for vacation and next time I’m in the area, I plan on dropping by for a cut.

Michinori-​san is a nice person and has a great sense of haircut, and I highly recommend him and this salon. I think he is one of the best stylists I have seen in my entire life. He manages a hair salon in the most sophisticated area (Aoyama) in Tokyo in Japan, which is a proof of his established reputation in Japan.
In addition, this salon is located in a convenient place in Japantown. I highly recommend it.

This review is for SHO… he had been my stylist for like 4 years before he broke my heart and moved to norcal. I still haven’t found a replacement :(
He really listens when you know what you want, and always has ideas when you are indecisive. Many times I’d flip thru the asian hair mags and say «something like this» and he would make suggestions on any modifications.
I’ve always left super happy with my hair!

If I hadn’t been getting my haircut with Junya for the past 10 years, I would give one start for today’s service by their new stylist Sho! As for comparison, Junya had been providing excellent service, smile on my face every time I get off his chair. He never rush and willing to extend the hour if necessary, never leave any detail unattended, never forget to end my haircut with a relax head and shoulder massage.
Today’s service by Sho, disaster! Besides the unhelpful attitude with my hair is not long enough to accomplish the style I showed him, and unwilling to provide any suggestion for a grow plan. He spent 5 min to wash my hair (super rough), 10 min to chopped off them (literally!), another 10 min to blow dry and style to cover his track. Total 25 min, send me off his chair without recommend care and style, just told me «grow you hair a few months».
The service I received today is a totally disappointment and frustrated. After walking out of the salon, I immediately called my original hair stylist Junya to reschedule a recovery appointment next week, I believed this time Junya would be able to correct all the damage Sho had done today.

Christopher was a rude arrogant selfish guy in black clothes, you can recognize him easily. He make «fun» of his customer and crush their idea. He got such strong opinion of your hairstyle if you have no idea, great! He can be easy for you but if you have a idea… oops you have to fight for yourself. He seems like have no idea what means of No! or don’t even care about your opinion. And he have such talent to make you feel horrible of your choice and you are such a fool without following his instruction. I get really sick of him and he make terrible haircut. I look older after spend time with him and his speech. Poor man show off he got 15 years experiences, what a liar. Won’t go back to this place anymore.
Btw he’s not Japanese so I don’t think he know Japanese hair cut style and any technique of it.
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Update 2÷20÷2015
After posting the previous comment, I received two private message through Unilocal.Both calling me names in aggressive tones. Upon reading the message, although the name is not the same as the stylist, tone of the voice seems to strongly suggest the message comes from him. After receiving the first message, I placed a block to the sender due to the aggressive tone of voice, which made me very uncomfortable. However, a different user of different name continue to send another message with the same aggressive tone of voice. I cannot say for sure, but it seems to be the same person, especially since the second user have only started the account recently and right after I have blocked the first user.
Although I had a bad experience at Japan Center Beauty Clinic, I had given the stylist a chance and also paid $ 230 for the service. With the well know skill level of Japanese stylists, I had hoped it would be true with this stylist. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Not only did he rejected my clear direction for the hair style, he actually took a magazine and quiz me on the color of the hair in the picture. In front of other customer, he had insulted me in front of other customers and called me color blind. He also made fun of my near sight, as I have to take off my glasses while having my hair done.
I know that I may be bias because the experience really upsets me, but I do think I have done everything and more on my part. After all, I am paying for a service that was not fulfilled. I have included the messages I have received after posting this review. You can see it and judge for yourself.
Also, for the person who have posted the aggressive messages. I would not hesitate to pursue in contact authorities if the harassment continue.

I go to JCBC twice a year to have Ricky Japanese straighten my very curly (and I won’t lie, very damaged) Jewfro. So when I called a couple weeks ago and asked for a Saturday apt with Ricky, and was told that he left, I was bummed. Had i done any research, I could have found out where he went and gone there, but I didn’t. My bad.
Upon getting to my apt today and not seeing a single familiar face, I decided to Unilocal it and figure it out. All the stylists left due to poor management (keep reading!) and went to a place called Hair Café a few blocks away. I felt bad that I had not gone to see Ricky, but decided to make the best of it.
I sat in that chair for 4 hours, which is totally normal. I tried not to be overly critical of what the stylist was doing– it was different than what Ricky had always done– and I kept my mouth shut and assumed he knew what he was doing. But when I was finished, I was left with the biggest, frizziest mess I have ever seen on my head. Worse than when I came in 4 hours earlier. I told my stylist I was unhappy, and he started arguing with me that he had done the best that he could, that my hair was too damaged. Guess what? My hair has always been damaged, but I’ve never left looking like this before. The owner? Manager? came over and actually YELLED at me. Blaming it on the chemicals, saying they were not strong enough. I argued back that the same chemicals have been used on my equally damaged hair for years. YEARS. I’ve always left wit shiny, smooth and sleek hair. That i would never walk around with my hair looking the way it currently does, let alone after leaving the salon.
I wanted to cry. The stylist told me I could come back in a week and he would do it again, but I’m not risking my hair (or my 4 hours) here ever again. In the end I paid (full price. What?) and tipped (for a grand total of nearly $ 400), but I wish I had not. That is way too much to pay for a frizzy head of hair and to be yelled at.
I won’t be back. Next time I’ll track down Ricky and let him handle this mess himself.

I would give zero stars if possible. This salon had the most unprofessional service I’ve ever encountered. I called in advance for an appointment, and the salon double-​booked my time. In this situation, the polite thing to do would have been to explain that no stylists were available. Instead, I was seated hurriedly and had my hair rinsed. The stylists then proceeds to take two cuts to my hair, then asks if she can step away for a minute. I assumed that this meant she would be back quickly. Instead, my stylist then leaves and proceeds to start cutting the hair of the lady 2 seats down. Meanwhile, I am left to sit in the barber seat with wet hair for 40 minutes! Not only is it rude, it’s massively disrespectful of my time.
Worst customer service I have ever encountered.

I’ve gotten my hair done by Michiaki and he did a good job. My friend was a regular of his for some time and LOVED him. However, this salon has treated their employees badly so all the stylist left back in October, it sounded like a coup It’s unfortunate but this place has high reviews because of their stylist… who are all gone now.
Just a heads up in case you are being suaded by the high Unilocal reviews. Note that all the stylists being reviewed are no longer employed there.
Unfortunately, he is located in San Mateo for the time being, and lucky for me I found another great stylist in the city so I am able to recover quickly. But I needed to write a quick review on this place. Not good at all!