Finca Hair Salon

Me: “Cut short and make cute! Ok?”
Kazuya: “We try!”

This is the conversation I first had in the chair when I met Kazuya.
Down the road from our chocolate shop in Manoa, is a beautiful hair salon offering a variety of services called Finca. The GM, Kazuya, spoke a little English and I spoke a little Japanese. It was the first time I ever chopped my long hair to above my shoulders back in 2015 and I have trusted him with my hair ever since.

People always say the relationship with your stylist is very important because you see them often and for many years of your life. What I like about mine, is he doesn’t talk (I don’t like to talk while getting my hair done. I usually read or like now, I am blogging.) he just does a fantastic job, and I can trust him. He doesn’t judge me if I bust out my laptop and type away and never look up because I trust him to do his thing. Even when I’m not sure what that “thing” is except to “make me ka ko ee” (cool and cute in Japanese).

The salon is always clean, bright with natural light flowing in, not too crowded, high ceilings that make it feel extra spacious, everyone working wears masks, the music is fun, the seats are comfortable, the wait is short, and the whole experience is fantastic. The hardest part is getting an appointment because they have a long list of loyal customers already in the system. I need to book my appointments 2-3 months in advance.

When it comes to caring for your hair, a lot of the little things can matter. The smell and quality of the products they use, the head massage during the wash that I look forward to, and again, the relationship with the people there.

Everyone is really friendly and I love the buzz of Japanese language around me. When I feel like talking, I practice Japanese with Kazuya. He used to be my sensei to review expressions with before my work trips to Japan shows.

Finally, the thing about Kazuya is he really cares about hair. Sometimes I have wanted to do things and he says, “No…damage.” He cares about the health of my hair and won’t just do what I think I want, but will do what he thinks is best for me and my hair. :)

erin’s experience tips:
-Plan ahead and book far in advance if you want to try Finca.
-Find someone that you mesh with. You and your stylist may be in a relationship that could last your whole life. Find someone who really cares.