Number of beauty salons in Japan FY 2014-2023

The number of beauty salons in Japan is on the rise and reached around 269.9 thousand facilities as of the end of March 2023, continuing the upward trend of the past decade. Beauty parlors comprise the main facility in the infrastructural framework of the beauty industry, providing a place for specialized personnel to exercise their craft and for beauty-seeking consumers to indulge in beauty practices.

Who is using beauty parlors, and for what services?

Most women in Japan go to beauty parlors, with haircuts being the most solicited service. On the other hand, about one-third of men in Japan frequent beauty parlors. Similar to the consumer behavior of women, haircuts were the most common service sought by men. Interestingly, while the utilization rate of beauty parlors among female consumers was homogenous among all age cohorts, there was a substantial discrepancy in the case of men, with younger cohorts being more likely to use such facilities.

The price of beauty

The price of beauty seems to be gender dependent. The average expenditure on beauty salon visits by women tends to be higher than that of men. In particular, a considerable share of women are willing to pay for services in the high-end price range. In comparison, the distribution of spending per beauty salon visit among men in Japan was skewed more heavily towards the lower end of the scale. Recent surveys with age group cohorts suggest that the market for men’s beauty is growing as Japan's younger generations become increasingly interested in the subject.