Barbers snip their way to the top - 4th August 2025

There was real excitement at the World Barber Classic in Tokyo. 12 of the most talented barbers had come together to compete on the same stage.

Although there are 110,000 barber shops in Japan, there's an aging population of barbers. Now, a younger generation has been demonstrating barbering skills via social media platforms. They're keen to show that they're much more creative than people think.

Profits are down at barber shops as more men prefer to have their hair styled at hair salons. These give male customers the opportunity to recreate the hairstyles of the rich and famous while barbers are still linked to less fashionable men's cuts.

Takamasa Suzuki, who's one of the contestants, explains his vision.

Takumasa Suzuki: "Actually, my model is a bonsai artist - a world-famous one at that. And as you know, bonsai has these unique shapes and textures of wood and branches, and I wanted each of these elements to be expressed in my haircut today."

The contestants have just 30 minutes to make an impression on the judges, who keep a close eye on their every move. Each barber hopes that their model will feel good inside and out. They're also showing the judges and the excited audience that they're pushing the limits. They have much more skill than people think.

Los Angeles barber and judge, Giancarlo Burgos, firmly believes a hair style can do so much for someone. It's also about connection and communication.

Giancarlo Burgos: "I think hair is more than just hair, right? It's a way of communicating yourself, but also connecting people. So I think it's a very, very amazing thing. And I'm so happy that now the world is becoming more aware. And especially seeing competition now, I think it begins to evolve past the chair, yeah. It's more worldwide and it's language that anybody can understand."