CEO Who Experienced Inconveniences During Childbirth and Parenting Established a Company
Surging Demand Among 2040 Working Women Boosts Popularity
Secures Venture Capital Investment and Expands Nationwide
Recently in Japan, so-called "scissor-free salons" that do not offer haircut or perm services have been gaining popularity. These salons save time spent on shampooing and drying during busy mornings or before important meetings, while also providing hair care, attracting demand from working women in their 20s to 40s. Although they initially started operations mainly in regional areas, their expansion nationwide with venture capital investment has drawn attention from Japanese media.
Shampoo and head spa services promoted by Rikure. It is advertised with the phrase "Extraordinary into everyday. Healthcare starting with shampoo." (Photo by Rikure website)
On the 6th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that "scissor-free salons" have recently become popular, especially around Fukuoka. These salons do not provide any haircut or perm services but focus solely on shampooing, drying, and hair or scalp care.
Rikure Co., Ltd., headquartered in Oita City, Oita Prefecture, Fukuoka, was founded in 2015 by a female president with a background as a hairdresser. The company continues to open scissor-free salons across the country. The president, Shiho Kariyu, born in 1986 and formerly a hairdresser, entered the business based on her own experience of having no time to wash her hair or properly groom herself due to childbirth and childcare.
Rikure has launched a brand called "Uru" in central Fukuoka areas such as Tenjin and Hakata, targeting only working women in their 20s to 40s. They choose locations within a 2-3 minute walk from train stations to lower the barrier for working women to visit. Similarly, they provide only shampoo and drying services without haircuts or perms, but the salons remain busy with working women preparing for private outings or important meetings. Each session takes about 30 minutes and costs approximately 4,000 yen (34,000 KRW). Recently, more customers have been using the salons as a place to refresh themselves after work before going home.
President Kariyu told Nikkei that she realized "services that handle these tasks for women could become a major business item," which led her to open a specialized salon offering shampoo, drying, and head spa services.
Rikure even had their shampooing techniques reviewed by a neurosurgeon. This allowed them to refine the comfort and duration of the hair washing process. Thanks to this, the salons attract not only working women but also elderly customers and cancer patients who have hair or scalp concerns due to illness. The company’s motto is "Loving hair from the cellular level."
As Rikure’s "scissor-free salons" gained popularity, Oita Venture Capital, affiliated with Oita Bank, decided to invest in the company. With this investment, Rikure expanded into the Kanto region, including Tokyo, starting in 2021, opening new stores in Ebisu, Jiyugaoka, and Ginza. When the Ginza store opened this summer, customers voluntarily promoted it through social networking services (SNS), resulting in full bookings from the first day. Rikure has set a goal to increase the number of directly managed stores nationwide to 10 by 2024. They also plan to expand into areas such as Roppongi and Omotesando in the future.
Nikkei analyzed the success factor, stating, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, customers’ salon visit intervals have lengthened, so capturing demand with shampoo and drying services rather than perms or haircuts likely led to success." They added, "Going forward, demand for services that support creating a society where women can thrive is expected to increase."
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