Approximately 200km north from Sapporo, if you went in a straight line from Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, where Naruto Scissor is located, it would be a whopping 1,200 km.

There is a salon in Haboro-cho, Tomamae-gun, Hokkaido that has a reputation for being open to people of all ages, men and women, and children.

We interviewed Mr. Utsumi, the owner of HAIR FELLOWS by utsumi.

■ We were told that your shop is run by your entire family.

My parents and I are barbers, and my wife is a hairdresser.

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■ You have a very long history of using Naruto scissors.

I have been a barber for 31 years, and I have 30 years of Naruto scissor experience!

■ So you have been using Naruto scissors right after you became a barber?

The owner of the store where I was working at the time and my seniors were using it, and they recommended them to me.

So I bought three of them right after I graduated from barber school.

To be honest, I thought it was expensive and at first I couldn't tell the difference between the scissors.

I was using them without really understanding them.

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■ Do you remember when you made your first purchase?

I bought it from a wholesaler in Sapporo at the time.
The person in charge was Mr. A, a sales representative of Naruto Scissors.
Mr. A was already an old man and he told me, "You have to spend one million yen on tools to become a professional.
I was surprised.
But it's scissors! It's a comb! It's an iron! It's a wig! When I bought it, I spent 1 million yen in no time lol

■ Since then, they have been used regularly on all my customers for 30 years.

I have 8 pairs in total.
I use the first 3 I bought the most for the overall base cut.
I also use them for cutting, thinning out, and finishing.

■ Thank you very much!

Naruto scissors are strong and can't be defeated by hair.
It cuts cleanly and in a single stroke.
I have used many scissors, but I will never use other manufacturers again.

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■ Is there anything that you value most?

Lately, I often think that "basics" are the most important.
I have been so busy that I have tended to just get on with my work, but the "basics" are important.
I'm going back to the basics and checking my eyes, my hand, my body position, and the angle of the scissors once again.
I want to enjoy working with customers for the rest of my life.

■ In fact, our general manager, who used to be in charge of exhibitions in Hokkaido, visited the salon this time and made the interview possible.
It was our first reunion in 20 years.
I hope to visit the Naruto scissor factory someday, too.
I hope to go there within 5 years!

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