📅 This article was written on Monday, November 10, 2025.
☀️ It’s a sunny Monday morning!
A bright start always lifts the mood — let’s stay positive and do our best this week! 💪✨
💡 Introduction
Japanese hairstylists are among the best in the world 💇♂️💎
Many foreigners wish to study and work as hairstylists in Japan,
while more and more salon owners are looking to hire talented foreign stylists.
However…
🪪 As of now, there is no specific visa category for “hairdresser.”
Still, that doesn’t mean the door is completely closed 🚪🌈
✨ How Foreign Hairstylists Can Work in Japan
Foreign nationals who wish to work as hairstylists in Japan can obtain a visa under
“Designated Activities (Special Hairdressing Activity)” 💡
🕔 Maximum period of stay: 5 years
🎯 Purpose: To learn advanced Japanese techniques and later apply them in their home country
🗾 Eligible Areas (National Strategic Special Zones)
Foreign hairstylists can only work in areas designated as National Strategic Special Zones.
🏙️ Tokyo: Implements the foreign hairstylist training program — hiring is possible.
🌊 Kanagawa: Although designated as a special zone, it has not yet implemented the program, so hiring is currently not allowed.
✏️ Each prefecture decides whether to adopt the system — please check carefully.
🏢 Procedures for Salons
Salons must be registered as a training institution (ikusei kikan) 💼
1️⃣ Screening to confirm the salon’s suitability and training environment
2️⃣ Once approved, the salon can start recruiting foreign staff
3️⃣ After hiring, the salon must submit a five-year training plan for approval
📅 The visa is granted for one year at a time (up to five years).
During renewal, authorities will check if the plan is being properly implemented 👀
If progress is insufficient, renewal may be denied ⚠️
🧑🎓 Requirements for Foreign Applicants
✂️ Must have graduated from a Japanese beauty college
🗣️ Must hold JLPT N2 or higher in Japanese language ability
Additional conditions may also apply.
In short, the path to becoming a hairstylist in Japan is still challenging —
it requires effort, preparation, and patience 🌿
🌏 Looking Toward a Broader Future
Japan’s hairdressing techniques are a cultural art that the world admires ✨
To share that skill globally and to ensure foreigners can freely pursue their professions,
further improvement and flexibility in the system are needed 🌸
📖 Reference
Yasutsugu Yamawaki (2020), Immigration Control Act and the Practice of Managing and Auditing Foreign Labor, Nihon Kajo Publishing
🏢 General Incorporated Association – Foreign Hairdresser Management Organization
🔗 https://www.gaibi.org/
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