Charismatic Hairdresser’s Predatory Behavior Had Long Been a Red Flag

You don’t need to pay for today’s service either

The Harajuku Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Shogo Fujii (33), a hairstylist and owner of the salon ELTE in Omotesando, Tokyo, by September 30 on suspicion of committing a sexual act without consent after leading a female customer into the restroom.

“The arrest allegation states that on the night of April 29 this year, Fujii lured a woman in her 20s into the restroom, which had a large mirror, following a photo session after her haircut. He allegedly said things like, ‘I’ll give you a good shampoo too, and you don’t need to pay for today,’ and had her touch his genitals over his underwear.

At the time of the incident, only Fujii and the woman were in the salon. The police station has received consultations from several other female customers regarding similar incidents, suggesting there may be additional offenses,” said a reporter from a national newspaper.

What drew attention when the arrest was reported was a video in which Fujii boasted about his charisma, saying to a customer, “Actually, I had stopped accepting new reservations for six months” and “This month I limited new clients to 10 people.” Fujii also promoted himself on his Instagram, where he has 16,000 followers, posting that he handles over 200 clients monthly through Instagram and sharing numerous photos of beautiful women he had styled.

“In May 2022, he posted a photo of a former member of a popular idol group on his Instagram. After his arrest, comments expressed concern for her, such as, ‘Poor thing,’ and ‘I hope she wasn’t touched,’” the reporter added.

Word-of-mouth ratings that changed about a year ago

Although they have already been deleted, reviews on major sites gave the salon a high rating of over 4.7 out of 5 points. The comments all praised the service, such as “The treatment and explanation of the fees were very thorough, and the customer service was wonderful” and “There was no waiting time, and the process went smoothly, which I appreciated”. However, reviews on another site were completely divided. Initially, almost all comments were glowing, but around 2024, the situation began to change.

“I asked for an olive color, but they charged me twice the price of the reservation coupon”

“I was told a double color was necessary, which cost more than twice the price and time, leaving my hair almost black. (Over 25,000 yen)”

“The waiting room was empty, and I didn’t know if I could wait there. I was only guided after about 15 minutes past my reservation time”

The contrast was so extreme that it hardly seemed to be reviews of the same salon. What had been happening at Fujii’s salon since last year? According to “NEWS Post Seven”, a woman who visited the salon in December last year said that Fujii told her at checkout, “Previously, there was a customer who didn’t have enough money, and that person said, ‘I’ll do it [sex] if you give me a discount!’”. The woman further testified that Fujii also asked her, “If I were the one, how much would it cost?”.

Meanwhile, the police have not disclosed Fujii’s acknowledgment of the charges, but it has been reported that when he met with a male employee of the salon, Fujii, looking exhausted, denied the allegations, saying, “I didn’t do it.”

There is also a possibility of avoiding prosecution

Regarding the future of suspect Fujii, Attorney Makoto Endo of BLJ Law Office commented:

“If Fujii is indicted and the case goes to trial, if he admits to the charges and shows remorse, there is a possibility that he will not receive a long prison sentence. If it is his first offense, he could be given a suspended sentence. Some reports suggest that other women may come forward with complaints, but if he is indicted, all cases will be considered comprehensively, so a higher number of charges does not necessarily mean a heavier sentence.”

Moreover, even if additional offenses are discovered in the future, there is still a possibility that Fujii could avoid prosecution.

“If a settlement is reached with the victims and they do not wish for severe punishment, he may not be prosecuted. Also, if he were employed by someone else, the employer could potentially file a civil lawsuit for damages, claiming that he damaged the store’s reputation, but since Fujii runs his own salon, that concern does not apply. Of course, he would bear any losses to the store himself,” he added.

Even if the criminal penalties this time are light, Fujii’s reputation as a hairstylist has been completely destroyed. It will likely be difficult for him to return to the way things were before.

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