Japanese Spa Zen

Do NOT get your nails done here. It took over two hours to get a mani/​pedi and she did not know how to paint nails. I asked her to repaint a couple of my fingernails because she applied to much paint and it was clumping. Several hours after I had left and after the paint had dried, I took a shower and the paint on my nails was all messed up and sliding off because she has applied way too much paint with each coat. I later noticed that the same thing had happened to my fingernails. I spent $ 50 for a manicure and pedicure that got messed up within a few hours.

The location is super convenient and scheduling was easy. I did not wait at all even after arriving early. The esthetician did a perfect, thorough job on my brows. Fair pricing.

This place is a lifesaver. Had my hair mangled by another salon in HP and not only did they fit me in immediately, but they gave me a great haircut, especially since they had to salvage the remains of my poor hair. I had Ramona, she was really helpful and friendly, and knew exactly what I wanted. I will definitely be going back whenever I need a haircut. My new go-​to in Hyde Park.

Went for a haircut. My hair was long, and I had no idea what to do. The hairdresser asked me what kind of style I want, I had no clue… so I said I don’t know… short? She smiled and asked no more. For around 30mins, she did a extremely meticulous job to my weed like hair. I never would expect such professional service with 20 dollars… I didn’t even know what I want, but the process was very swift and enjoyable. I actually like my new hair… Which hardly ever happened when I stepped out of any barber shop. Will come back again.

I really, and I mean really, like Naoko. She’s incredibly personable and while I’m not one to be so chatty in the salon chair, Naoko has in the past had me laughing over just about everything, from her neighborhood raccoon problems to wedding fiascos. And she gives a truly decent cut. When we first moved to Hyde Park two years ago, we noticed Japanese Spa Zen while combing 53^rd street for restaurant finds and the like, so naturally when my husband needed his first Chicago cut, he went to Naoko. And loved her. She gives a great men’s cut. «Go see Naoko», he said, when I complained about my ever-​populating split-​ends. And go I did.
She was charming in exactly the way he described her and I remember bouncing back the few blocks to our apartment that first fall, taking pleasure in my new-​found style, which was a fairly simple bob. Back then, I’d gone for ages without so much as a trim. I was in paradise.
I’d return every few months for the next few years for cuts and trims, eyebrow waxes, and even a french manicure. All of my cuts were always with beloved Naoko, but the waxing and nails were done by another employee who was very engaging and pleasant, yet I never really loved the wax job. It was inexpensive, and for what it was, it was fine, but I was coming up to my wedding date and really wanted some truly clean lines. As for the nails, the French manicure wasn’t quite perfect and she mentioned that she really liked to put the sparkly polish on when she did Frenches, assuring me it would look great. I didn’t dig it. But she was nice, and I knew she was still training, and I love that Naoko opts to hire people who are still making their own way. This was over a year ago, so I’d consider returning and giving it another go.
Last winter, Naoko was out for a bit, in Japan, I believe, and then down with a surgery. I was selfishly devastated and had to go elsewhere. I tried University Stylist. A similar cut to Naoko, but I loved Naoko, and when it was time for my next cut I was in the mood to take off some serious length and rock a new style, with time taken to teach terribly impossible-​to-​teach me on how to properly do my hair, and for this, I knew it was time to leave Hyde Park. And I’m glad I did. It was time for a change, and my new cut and style was a two hour session that I know wouldn’t go down at Zen.
I know for many, though, like myself, Naoko is just what you need sometimes, and the memory of bouncing down 53^rd and Woodlawn in my first crisp Chicago fall after my first visit to Naoko’s will always be an endearing one.

I’ve had a few haircuts here, and I’ve always been very happy with my cut. At $ 30 for a haircut, it’s also an incredible bargain.

Neither very zen, nor very spa like; it’s actually kind of cramped and cluttered in there. But — that’s my biggest complaint; the staff was indeed very considerate. I’ve been twice now, both for waxing and my first Brazilian was a breeze compared with what I was expecting. One tug really smarted but the rest were done with minimum pain. And $ 55 seemed reasonable to me. I would definitely go back!
P. S. The one other thing that bugs me is that they’re closed on Thursdays — which so often has been the exact day I want to go!

This place is amazing. I just got a brazillian, and was expecting it to be so painful, but I barely felt anything!!! They are so nice, and very considerate! I highly recommend this place!

I’ve been going to Japanese Spa Zen regularly for my haircut, eyebrow and lip wax. Paulina does a beautiful job. She takes her time and does a great job with layers and bangs. The quality of the cut is the same as a $ 50 to $ 60 cut but she only charges $ 35. They don’t wash your hair first, so I guess that explains some of the price difference. Also, the salon could use a renovation, but the service is very good.

Good and detailed pedicure service!

I got a corrective facial from Ramone, a cosmetologist, not aesthetician. Let me tell you as an avid facial reciever, I am used to having the cool steam spritzing machine be used on my skin. But it just sat there in the corner, unused. The exfoliation process, or what I assumed was exfoliation consisted of steamy towels when I ultimately expected a facial scrub.
However, I must give accolades for the fact that extractions weren’t that bad. As I said I get facials pretty often and have had eye watering extractions, but these were not of that sort. Too bad only one side of my nose got the pleasure. I know my skin, I know it needed it because I had walked in after taking 2mos off of facials due to the bad customer service I got across the street at Bettye O. I prefer aestheticians to do my skin care and I probably should have checked that first, and the music and background clatter were all just a little much for zen to be in the title. But overall, Ramone is a lovely person, although my attempt at humor about how painless the extractions were seemed to fall on dead, impersonal ears. Oy! Probably just worth the $ 10 tip, instead of the $ 75 service.

I went here for a simple upper lip wax… Everything seemed to go fine enough but now, exactly one week later, I see a ton of missed areas. I usually only have to go once every 3−4wks or so. What a waste of money — I’m not going back.

************If I could rate this place with zero stars I would!*****************************
********WARNING: DO NOT GET A BRAZILIAN WAX HERE!!!********************
I came here for a Brazilian 3 years ago, I still remember the horrible experience like it was yesterday! I had maybe 10 Brazilian waxes prior to coming here to get one so I know what is supposed to happen! Anyway, the waxing person kept sweating and wiping the sweat off of her face during the entire procedure. Talk about disgusting, maybe she was having a hot flash… anyway, it was nasty! She looked like she just ran a marathon!
This was the most painful waxing I have ever had. Also she didn’t finish. She claimed «Your hair is not right for waxing.» She quit about ¾ of the way through, I had wax on me still and she recommended that I «Go home and use olive oil to remove the rest of the wax.» I was in shock, I have had many waxes and never had this issue. I paid (which I should have never done) and left and then went to the near by Rite Aid and picked up a waxing kit and finished the rest at home. THIS PLACE IS HORRENDOUS!!! Do not get your waxing done here!!!

Naoko is the hair-​whisperer. I have thin curly hair. It’s completely different from cutting straight hair. She understands how my hair works, gets the split ends without destroying texture, and cuts it exactly as I requested. Main points to mention to her: overall length and length of layers. She will follow it to the letter.
Make sure to wash your hair the night before if not you have to pay extra to have your hair washed. Straighten it if that’s what you usually do (if you have curly hair). It’s a no-​frills salon, but she does a great job. Not sure about her other employees.
Also, ask her about Japanese culture, She has some great stories.

During the summer, they are a little short staffed, so my lunch-​hour pedicure ended up taking longer than expected. However, I was delighted with the results! The woman who did my pedicure was very thorough and my feet look great. Since this is one of the only nail salons in Hyde Park other than Fairy Nails (DO NOT GO THERE! IT’S GROSS!), I will be returning during lunch hour soon.

I got a mani/​pedi here for an upcoming vacation. I am really happy with the result. The pedicure station is tucked away in a little corner, which I liked. It felt really private. The basin for my feet was nice and had neat heated rocks in it, which felt kind of awesome. Both the manicure and pedicure were exactly what I expected when I get one. I soaked, was exfoliated, scrubbed, moisturized, and my nails were carefully trimmed/​filed and painted. I feel that the price ($ 20 for a manicure, $ 30 for pedicure) is very reasonable for the treatment.
Another reviewer mentioned that they do not have a big polish selection, which is true. I brought my own polish so that I can take it on my trip with me in case it chips while I am away. And yes, manicures chip! Unless you get a gel manicure, your manicure will probably chip in 5 – 7 days. It is always a good idea to bring your own polish if you are concerned about chips.
Overall I was very happy with my mani/​pedi experience and I will definitely go back to JSZ for this service again.

I initially picked this spa because of its proximity to my school, turns out the massage here is so good I end up returning at least once every month. I appreciate the prompt and friendly greeting everytime I walked in. The masseuse usually offers a choice between Swedish and deep tissue massage. I have tried both and enjoyed the deep tissue more. The ambiance is nice and has relaxing aroma.
If you want some tranquil and private time while you relax, try the Japanese herbal bath. Basically, they place a bag of Japanese herbs into a hot tub and you get to enjoy it for an hour while instrumental music is played in the background. The scent is absolutely refreshing. There are chairs (with towels placed on them) next to the tub in case the water gets too hot.
I highly recommend this spa for those who live in Hyde Park and are looking for a place for a spontaneous self-​indulgent splurge. Trust me– you’ll enjoy it.

So I’ve been to this place a few times before today, maybe 4 or 5. The experience was always pretty nice, always had the same hairdresser and it’s really cheap.
Today things were different though. First, despite having washed my hair like 1 day ago they insisted that it was dirty and so I had to pay extra to have my hair washed, because of state regulation (?) (it is a dry hair cutting place, Japanese technique they say). This never happened before, even when I had not washed my hair for much longer. Then, the lady who cut my hair (big black frames) was just so weird and not nice. I was just feeling really uncomfortable around her. And she cut my hair in a funny way. My hair is pretty long, and she made a first cut all around my head pretty short. So it looks like a bob but with longer hair behind. It’s just really bad. My office friend was appalled when she saw me coming back. The worst was also that the owner (the Japanese lady) was like oh it’s pretty! No it is NOT pretty.

Received a much needed massage here today.
I hadn’t realized how badly I needed a massage until last night. I knew it was essential for me to receive a massage this weekend as I have a very busy week ahead of me.
I was all twisted up, tense and in pain. It felt as though my head, neck and shoulders were all one unit. But that was all before 4−5pm today!
Japanese Spa Zen allowed me to make a same day appointment. My appointment was origianlly scheduled for a little later in the day but they had a cancellation so contacted me to see if I could move my appointment up. Yes!
As mentioned in previous reviews; this is not a shi-​shi-​poo-​poo type of atmosphere; it’s basic functional space. The customer service didn’t knock me off my feet either. It wasn’t good or bad though. So for the lack of decorum and awesome customer service, I have to keep a star to myself.
I went to JSZ today for a good massage. I ended up getting a great massage. This is probably about the 20^th massage I’ve had (but only my 2^nd non-​american massage) and I must say it was my best massage yet! The spa has this whole list of services but I was asked and only confirmed a 60-​minute massage. When greeted by the lady that would perform my services she simply asked «why are you getting a massage today?». She never asked what «type» of massage I wanted; nevertheless, I knew it would be okay.
I was guided into your typical massage room with the dim lights, candle glow, soft –music and massage table. I went through the same ol’-same ol’ of disrobing and blah-​blah-​blah. She started off with a lighter touch than I expected or desired but once again, I somehow knew that things would be ok. What ensued was a customized massage comprised of different methods. I felt some Swedish, some Reiki, some deep tissue, some trigger point manipulation and just overall rebalancing. It was awesome!
I can get a little OCD at times and expect to receive the exact same thing to one side that you did to the other side. However, today I knew that each side was getting what it deserved! My massage was so personal and specific to my needs! I walked away feeling like a new person! Upon completion of my service my masseuse told me that I needed to come more oftern. This felt more like a consultation than a sales pitch. I feel as though she was saying «hey chick! you’ve got a lot of tension and it took a lot of work to get it out, come on a more regular basis and it’ll be better for you and I!!!» LOL… I’ll take it!
In summation; choose JSZ if you’re looking for a quality massage. If you are looking to have a whole «Zen» experience, you may want to go elsewhere.
Toodles!

This has been my go-​to place for getting my brows waxed since I moved to Hyde Park. I would totally recommend it for this service. A little pricier than what I’m used to ($ 15 as opposed to $ 10 – 12), but worth it. This is the least irritating wax I’ve ever had and both women I’ve had wax my brows were very professional and ensured that that the end result was the best possible.
I had a haircut here once (and by haircut, I mean trim) and I was really unimpressed. No shampoo, only a spritz which ended up backfiring because I have curly thick hair (which was straightened at the time) so bits and pieces started curling again so each strand was a different length which seemed to confuse her. The fact that she didn’t see that coming doesn’t speak well to her skill as a stylist. The price is what I’m used to when a shampoo is included. For the fact that she just trimmed by dry hair it was too much. Won’t be doing that again.
I’ve also had a massage here on one occasion and I would go back again. The price was lower than usual and it was a pleasant experience except for the background noise from the salon.
Overall, this place is better for somethings than others.