About Us

A. Secret Garden is my brand and I'm joined by independent hairstylists to form an appointment based team in a co-working salon called Raguel. There are 6 stylists to run this salon facility currently. I usually take Secret Garden appointments by myself as far as I am available. When there are overlapping appointments, the associated stylists are brought in, in conjunction with their availability. Most of colour works, challenging cuts and quality cuts will be assigned to me and shorter-time appointments can be taken by the teams. Clients are able to request any stylists (including myself) for repeated appointments. The team (except myself) are all experienced Japanese stylists from top salons in Tokyo. When a team stylist takes care of your appointment, I'll attend the consultation and help communication between you and the stylist. And myself, I think I'm quite senior in the international level, I used to teach many seminars in UK and US. I don't have a Japanese client but I have many others. Regardless the team stylists or I take care of your service, I am responsible for the result of every appointment at Secret Garden.

A. No, we cannot take walk-in customers. Please make an appointment first. In 2024, we regrettably turned down more than 100 walk-in customers totally and we took zero walk-in customer because we do not have the system that can help walk-in appointments. There weren't many in 2025 after this notification. Calling us or popping an email/text, telling what you want, when are the fastest ways for you to have your hair done at us even if it's last-minute. 

A. As rough guidelines, 6 pm for a haircut and a root colour, 5:30 pm for 1/4 head highlights, 5 pm for 1/2 head highlights and a full-length colour, 4 pm for full-head highlights and bleaches. Closing/opening times can be adjusted by prior arrangements and notifications.

In the emergency cases such as colour correction, we can move the hours more flexibly as long as there's no other clients booked. I'll find your/my availabilities and your hair needs as we communicate on the phone/texts and can tell you time estimates and make suggestions.

A. Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club, JCB credit cards are accepted. BUT we are not able to process tap to pays for American Express and Diners, please bring your actual card for your payment if you use those two companies. Visa, Masters are available with tap to pay. 

We cannot accept Paypay, transport cards and all sorts of non-credit electric payments.

A. Yes, they are different in some ways. Although all human hair is biologically made in the same way, its structural variety gives a huge difference in texture and appearance. In general, Caucasian/African hair is finer than Asian's. But my point is from here. Japanese clients have strong preference for their style and cut, and consequently Japanese stylists cut and colour differently from Western hairdressers. (Japanese hairdressing is also different from that of Korea or China even today.) Japanese hair products (for colour, hair care) are also different from international ones with regard to ingredients/regulations and market preference. Most of major international hair care brands change consistencies of their products ( salon colours, counter products) when they roll them out for Japan's market. This is one of reasons that colour services at Japanese hair salons are different from those at hair salons outside Japan. I think Japanese hairdressers are skilled and dedicated on the average and are experts when it comes to creating Japanese styles on Asian hair. 

A. All my clients have been foreign or mixed-Japanese since I started Secret Garden. However, the clients of the team stylists I work with are mostly Japanese. These stylists are independent technically and have a bunch of Japanese clients of all ages. I am the person who is helped by them. 

My clients are excellent in variety in their hair and styles. My clients often work in the office, or their partner has a job in Japan. I have technicians, researchers, bankers, lawyers, teachers and academics, government employees and business owners in many fields. There are managerial people as well as interns. I have exchange students and tourists too. Female/male ratio is about 75/25 these days. The age ratio: 40s are probably the most, then 30s, 50s, 20s and all others. The styles of my clients are eclectic. Many of my clients tend to choose work appropriate and practical styles.  At the same time, many of my clients change their mind and try something different in length, style and colour in a longer time frame. 

In terms of hair types, many of my clients have some kind of waves and curls naturally. Some of them have really straight hair and some have very tight coils or Afro-Caribbean mixed textures. I have many clients who have fine hair, including extra fine ones, and I'm constantly requested to make cuts and colours that really work with their hair. Some have incredibly dense hair, you won't believe it. About clients' nationalities, many are from US, UK, Australia, other English speaking nations as well as European countries. Comparing to when Secret Garden started in 2014, I receive more and more coloured/mixed/Asian people in recent years. I guess my clientele mirrors to the global economy and Japan's international demographic. I enjoy very much learning my clients' country, their culture, history and food as well as engaging on topics like family, jobs, hobbies, exercise, nightouts, holidays etc. through their international perspective.

A.

• The best work quality - A subjective statement but I try to walk the walk and prepare to provide the best work possible. I do not overlap appointments and fully focus on one client at a time. Many Japanese salons are cheap but they often juggle clients  

• 100% international customers - I've been making my living out of doing non-Japanese people's hair over two decades. I think I've been typecast and I can't brag about this but it's just a fact that reflects my expertise and that I've been doing international people's hair day in day out.

• Experience - I have international hair experience. But delving deeper within the internationals. Most of times, doing a client's hair is not just a one-off service but it has continuity and responsibility. To do one person's hair, you need to know everything. From short-term trouble shooting to long-term planning to some conditions that people suffer, a stylist needs to be able to resolve all unique challenges the customer faces. Clients'  hair changes as time goes. I believe that I know what to do, what to advise and how to help people's hair issues in most cases.

• Real clients - I have been working for clients of all different profiles. Some of them are executives, managers and ones with publicity responsibility. I still do young adults but I've been doing hair of many experienced adults where each person brings requirements to be fulfilled. I have accumulated experience in areas that cannot be glossed over on social media or reviews.

• International products - I use international-hair-suitable products for colour work, hair care and styling. Some of them are sourced internationally and there is specific experience, knowledge and trust with it. I select Secret Garden products myself and the entire equipment (tools + products) is non-Japanese hair purpose. 

• British certified - I have NVQ2 and NVQ3 in UK hairdressing. The education modules cover essential and advanced areas of international hairdressing. Certificates are usually mandated to be presented to official suppliers for product procurement too. I spent 3 years in total in hair college in the UK full-time an part-time for my qualifications. They aren't like Sassoon or Toni&Guy 6 months NVQ2 that many Japanese and Chinese have. I also took many advanced and creative trainings for experienced stylists. 

• Fully English speaking for hair and everything - Speaking English is normal today. But you have to think fast in English to be a first-class stylist. You learn and absorb things in English. A salon manager in an English speaking city won't send someone on the floor if the person can't communicate well and treat customers professionally. A hairdresser can't learn hair enough or have high responsibility if the one is below the threshold.

• UK's top salon trained and qualified - I was trained by a British Hairdresser of the Year for cut, and by a top Hollywood colourist for colour. Many Japanese stylists travel abroad for international hair experience but end up working at small salons or missing training  programmes because of their short staying visas. Many salons can't easily afford to make their stylists stay for junior trainings due to high stylist costs. I was beyond fortunate to receive a full training by the top people in the industry and have continued to work in the top market for further skill development. 

• 100% Western hair salon background - My hairdressing is British. Many Japanese stylists who claim international hairdressing in Japan often worked at Japanese hair salons in Western cities. Those salons' clients are mostly Japanese/Asian and the stylists perform Japanese techniques there even outside Japan.

• Top stylist experience for non-Japanese hair in the UK (and the US) - Many Japanese hairdressers who stay overseas often work as an assistant, or attend hairdressing courses rather than real salon working. Japanese are reputed as excellent assistants but it's the stylist experience that counts. A hair school can't give a hairdresser the stylist experience either.

• Bigger work experience - I used to teach hair in English in the western countries. I worked as an Art Director for Japan branch of an international company, held seminar teaching/demonstrations, designing and planning PR hair events. I have worked for hair of top Hollywood actors, fashion show backstages, editorial pictures. These varieties of experience and knowledge are near prerequisite for business growth and brand making. It also leads to better salon performances.

• Competitive pricing - Inflation has made some advanced economies very expensive. Making the matter worse, Japan's annoying monetary policy keeping yen weak is making my international products exorbitantly costly. But whining is a mug's game. We play within the market and I do pricing accordingly. This makes happy customers and a thriving business, eventually we're more profitable than London folks, in theory. We have a strong cost-cutting strategy without compromising our service/product quality. Besides, I'm innately not money driven but skill driven. If someone tells me what made them happy and what didn't, that's more rewarding for me than payment.. does that make sense? 

• Our focus - We are lean and keep things simple in order to be close to our customers and convenient for them. We try to eliminate ersatz of unnecessary things. We're all fast-pace learning and keep the salon's capability agile for local and international demands and trends.

• The salon's character - The salon location is convenient and pleasant and the salon is usually not so packed. It has a bit of space between chairs. I believe that the team and I are working very well. Since the location is a bit away from big streets and expat-busy areas, so you can feel private and relaxed here.

A. Yes, of course. I've been doing kids' hair almost from the beginning of my career. I think children teach me a lot and doing kids' hair helps me improve as a hairstylist.

If you bring two or more of them together, I usually finish them one by one. In the case if they can't wait, I can enlist a stylist from the team. I can do kids' colour as long as their environment and the parents are okay about it. I strictly follow to what extent they want and I can offer advice and various ways for achieving the colour style for the person's age.

A. I'm so sorry, we don't do refunds. But we do offer free re-appointments to try our best to adjust the result.

Firstly, not to let such a situation happen, we have the consultation and discuss what you want and what your hair can have. We plan the cut/colours and think forward what you need to know before starting the work. To make it easier for you to know the result, procedures, price and time and everything, I'll guid you and try to be thoughtful, practical and honest. I've been doing people's hair for years and I usually can spot when you're not understanding or having difficulty to decide what to do, and usually there are some ways to work through for a bright result.

Even though after all these efforts, misunderstanding and misinterpretation can happen. If that's the case, our team and I offer a free-charge re-working appointment if you let us know within 7 days. Upon your contact/message, we can arrange the re-appointment at your+our available time. We don't set a time limit for your re-visit but I assume that sooner is better for you. Likewise the first appointment, we will listen to you and examine the initial outcome to find out how you'd like to see it and in what way the hair result can be shifted into.

We're always happy to work again till you reach your goal. If there is a completely additional service that is not pertinent to the result fixing during the re-appointment, we may ask you to cover only for that part.

A. Since Secret Garden started in 2014, neither I or Secret Garden's booking have had a Japanese customer yet. We're still waiting. I personally like to have something like 70% international. Let's see how we can develop. 

When I lived in London, many Japanese expats there were adamant to go to local Japanese hair salons, I think Japanese people are very selective in salons. I've had 7 Japanese clients in my entire career so far but I feel ok because I get other people and do hair anyway. I usually forget about this until someone asks. This is what I didn't expect but many Japanese hairdressers (and their clients) seem to like what I'm doing. I was encouraged many times by the people I have worked in the same space. 

Oh, so my clientele, most of them have exotic hair from the point of Japanese eye. But I do have Asian clients who live or travel in Japan. There are some clients who grew up in Japan but whose hair is not like typical Japanese because of their family background. I think they switch languages and speak English or their family language at home. They may be legally Japanese, I don't know exactly, but my point is that their hair is not like traditional Japanse hair and these clients ask international skills when they come to me. So I think it's fair to say they are international from the hair salon's point.