10 minutes for 1,000 yen

I got my hair cut in Tokyo yesterday - and it was entertaining. Not far from our home there's a barbershop called QB (short for Quick Barber). On the window it advertises itself (in Japanese) as the 10 minute haircut for 1,000 yen place. The place is no larger than the average American bedroom but it had four "stations" and a waiting area. You walk in, put a 1,000 yen note (about $11) into a vending machine that spits out a number. You sit on the padded bench (waiting area) until one of the barbers calls your number (in my case about 2 minutes) and then you sit in a comfortable chair while the extremely polite and efficient barber cuts your hair for 10 minutes.

Each station is a self-contained unit with lights, a closet for your bags, a chair, disinfecting unit, barber tools, and a vacuum hose. After your haircut a floor-level vacuum system sucks all the hair off the floor as the barber vacuums up your head and clothes - leaving no hair to irritate your neck the rest of the day.

QB is a franchise that started in Japan and has expanded to Hong Kong and Singapore thus far. It's not something a high maintenance hair-involved man would want to go to but for someone like me - Great idea.