Kids' haircuts in Japan: why we recommend FaSS, and how to book with the app

For many Indian families in Japan, a child's first haircut here is surprisingly stressful. Neighbourhood salons often take bookings by phone in Japanese, prices aren't always posted, and waiting 40 minutes with a bored five-year-old is nobody's idea of a good Saturday. After trying a few options, the one we keep recommending to families is FaSS, a cut-and-styling chain from the company behind QB House.

Why we recommend FaSS for kids

• A clear, fixed kids' price. The Kids' Cut is ¥1,850 (tax included) for children up to the end of elementary school, under the price list FaSS introduced on 1 February 2025. No surprise add-ons.
• No phone call in Japanese. Everything, from joining the queue to paying, happens in the FaSS Passport app.
• You wait at home, not in the salon. The app shows the live wait time and lets you join the queue remotely, so your child isn't sitting in a waiting area for half an hour.
• Convenient locations. Many stores sit inside station buildings and shopping centres (atre Kawasaki, atré vie Otsuka, Musashi-Kosugi, Sangenjaya and others), so a haircut fits into a normal errand run.
• The rest of the family can go too. The same visit covers adults (Cut & Styling ¥2,600), students (¥2,380) and a quick fringe trim (¥970).

Prices can differ at a few stores, so check the store page in the app before you go. Many stores ask that a child be able to sit in the chair on their own, so if you have a toddler, confirm with the store first.

Two ways to book in the FaSS Passport app

Download FaSS Passport from the App Store or Google Play, create an account and register a payment card. Then choose one of two options:

• Join the queue (順番待ち受付), free. Same-day only. You join the back of the store's current line from your phone, exactly as if you'd taken a ticket at the door. Remote queueing opens 30 minutes after the store opens. Head over when your turn is close. If you haven't arrived within 30 minutes of being called, your place is cancelled automatically.
• Priority date-and-time booking (日時優先予約), at some stores. Pick a date and time slot in advance. For a same-day slot you can book up to one hour before. The operator's terms list a ¥200 booking fee for this option, and the app shows any fee before you confirm. You're seated with priority at your time, but it isn't a guaranteed to-the-minute start, so there may be a short wait when it's busy.

Cancellation is free and done in the app up to one hour before your slot. Repeatedly cancelling can get your booking access suspended, so cancel only when you really need to.

Prefer to walk in? Every store has a ticket machine at the entrance. Take a number and wait to be called.

Paying

If you booked in the app, the cut is charged to the card you registered, so there's nothing to pay at the counter. One quirk: with a debit card, you may see two charges, one when you book and one when the cut is done. The first is cancelled and refunded after the service.

The whole flow, in short

• Install FaSS Passport, sign up and add a payment card.
• Find your nearest store and check its live wait time.
• Either join today's queue for free, or book a priority date and time where available.
• Leave home when your turn is near, or arrive at your booked time.
• Show your booking at the store, and tell the stylist the cut you want.
• Payment goes through the app automatically. If you need to cancel, do it in the app at least one hour before.

Useful Japanese for the chair

Stylists are used to short requests. Showing a photo on your phone works best, and these phrases cover most kids' cuts:

• キッズカットでお願いします (kizzu katto de onegai shimasu): A kids' cut, please.
• 短めでお願いします (mijikame de onegai shimasu): Short, please.
• 前髪は眉の上まで (maegami wa mayu no ue made): Fringe above the eyebrows.
• 耳が出るくらいで (mimi ga deru kurai de): Short enough to show the ears.
• 長さはそろえるだけで (nagasa wa soroeru dake de): Just even out the length.
• 後ろは刈り上げで (ushiro wa kariage de): Clippered at the back.

Fees, prices and booking rules change from time to time. The current details are always in the FaSS Passport app and on the official FaSS site.

Have a kids' salon in Japan your family loves, or a tip for first haircuts here? Tell us, and we'll share it with other families making the move.