To all outward appearances, Hair Salon Kitadoko is as modern as the Shibuya Cross Tower skyscraper in which it's located. As befits these times, too, it has a toll-free number for customers to call for appointments, as well as a Web site.
Only after stepping inside does one encounter a tradition going back 132 years. Framed sepia photographs adorn the walls. A getabako (shoe box) is provided for customers who may feel more relaxed with their feet in slippers. And the cozy waiting area is supplied not only with the latest newspapers and magazines, but antique copies of "I Am a Cat" and other literary classics by Soseki Natsume, a former customer -- but more on that later.
A visit to Kitadoko, it soon becomes evident, involves more than just a shampoo and trim; it's a stroll down the memory lane called "Westernization."