Apr 2, 2026
A survey of Western tourists found that many were using Japan’s beauty salons, attracted by their cleanliness and customer service.
The Allure of Beauty Salons
A survey conducted by Hot Pepper Beauty Academy, Recruit’s beauty research institute, revealed that 42.6% of 1,535 tourists from Europe, North America, and Australia, who visited Japan between August and November 2025 used a beauty salon during their stay. Those who said they “want to go in the future” also reached 30.2%.
Looking at the type of beauty salons that the respondents visited, “massage and relaxation” was the most common with 26.7%, followed by “aesthetic salons and hotel spas” at 18.7%, and “hair salons” with 17.3%.
While 31.6% of people who had “visited Japan for the first time” used a beauty salon, this rose to 47.4% for those who had “visited 2 or more times” and at 54.5%, more than half of those who had “visited 5 or more times” went to a beauty salon. This clearly indicated that the more often people visited Japan, the more likely they were to include a visit to a beauty salon in their itinerary.
At 61.9%, the greatest attraction respondents gave for using Japanese beauty salons was because they were “clean and hygienic,” and more than half of respondents also cited “customer service” (54.4%) and “high technical skills” (52.9%).
The survey showed that 66.5% of beauty salon users spent ¥10,000 or more on beauty-related purchases (including buying cosmetics), with the average amount being ¥20,630.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © PhotoAC.)
