The joys of being Banned: A Tokyo trim can beat any wellness regime
Forget cryo-chambers. Tyler Brûlé finds youthful energy at the barbershop and the bar.
Earlier this week I met a charming doctor who indulged me in the powers of longevity, better living and happiness. After a gentle glass of sparkling water, the overhead lighting switched to my lifestyle and week ahead. I told him that I was off to Hong Kong over the coming hours and then on to Tokyo. We chatted a bit about the world of travel and circadian rhythms, and I could tell that there was some serious concern. “You don’t travel like this all the time?” he asked. “Or?” For a moment I hesitated. Keep it polite? Or give it to him straight? I opted for the latter.
“I’ve been off the long haul over summer but now I’m limbering up for a busy autumn,” I explained. He was having none of it. “It does take its toll, you know,” he said rather grimly. I kept it bubbly and fresh. “I sleep well,” I said. “I don’t eat when I fly. I’m a cab napper. I get on with it…” We parted politely but I felt condemned. Oh well.
I’m now in Tokyo and, after three wonderful days in revitalised Hong Kong, I’m in a smoky basement bar in Tokyo and I’m feeling at the top of my game. In part because I’m with dear friends and colleagues, in part because we just had a super Italo-Nippo dinner at Grin but mostly because I spent an hour in the chair at Cut Salon Ban, just down the street from the Monocle bureau. It’s a fountain of youth, happy vibes and non-stop Tatsuro Yamashita belting out of the speakers in a compact corner of Tomigaya.
You might have your tonics and routines, dear reader, but the trim, shave, ear clean, moisturise and massage at Ban is the best of the bunch. This is no chic affair and that’s the magic. In chair four, there’s a grandpa who the staff need to assist in the toilet; there’s a possible NHK TV talent by the door; and a 14 year old has some photo references for how he wants his mop to look. The Turks and Italians have much to claim in the shaving space but the Ban boys (or Ban-chans, as I call them) have a full routine that could be a touring performance piece. There’s much in the way of potions and pony that supposedly helps the ageing process but I think that the mix of lyrics, laughter and appearance improvement, however superficial, is as much a longevity enhancer as any transfusion or cryo-chamber. It’s now back to the mic and a bit of practice on a Christmas classic.
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