Kiwa Salon East

Loved my entire experience here — from making the appointment to the end result! The woman on the phone was extremely clear, friendly, and easy to communicate with. I made an appointment two days in advance without a problem.
I only had a vague idea of what I wanted to do with my hair, and I showed Hiro several different pictures of the kind of look I was going for. It was a pretty drastic change from very long hair to a short, shoulder length cut, but he worked his magic and it turned out amazing!
Especially given the fact that I kind of let him do whatever after just giving a few inspiration pictures, he really knew what he was doing. I was referred here by a friend, so I trusted that whatever he did would turn out fine. I’m absolutely elated with the result though — it was definitely more than just fine! The styling he did for me at the end was great. Too bad I probably can’t recreate the «salon day hair» on my own.
The girl who shampooed my hair was also super sweet — everyone here is very accommodating and made me feel at ease. The place is small, quiet, and exudes a sort of artsy vibe. I definitely recommend this place if you have Asian hair.
I’m glad to say I found my NYC salon and stylist :)

I came here because of all the good reviews about their digital perms.
Set up a consultation, went in. The stylist told me that my hair is «too processed» for the perm. I don’t even regularly blow dry my hair (maybe once every 3 months or so), let alone color it or do any processing. I told her that my hair was naturally lighter than typical Asian hair and always had been, but she basically insinuated that I was a LIAR and told me that she will not be perming my hair. Uh, okay then. No thanks.

Great experience here with the wonderful staff who were kind and efficient.
You can select a regular stylist or a senior stylist (slight price difference) for hair cuts for both men and women styles. They offer other services too like digital perms and color. Liked their availability of Japanese magazines (JJ, InRed, etc) as well as American magazines for reading while you’re there too!
Credit card and cash are both accepted here. The salon is right above the mattress store, there’s a small doorway on the NE corner of 23^rd/​3^rd on 23^rd St, so it’s easy to miss. Take the stairs up to the 2^nd floor.

**Must make appointment**
**First timers get 30% off!**
After searching on Unilocal for a place to get a haircut and digital perm that wasn’t going to cost me an arm and a leg, I came across the newer locations of Kiwa Salon — Kiwa Salon East. It’s located in a 2^nd floor shared space next to Sleepy’s. They have a very minimalistic/​modern décor thing going on. Upon entering, you’re greeted by a person who takes your coats and bags and checks them — very professional people. Everyone who works here is Japanese, but speaks fairly good English.
Since it was my first time at Kiwa, I took advantage of their 30% off special (haircut + digital perm) for $ 168, which is really a steal.
My appointment was with Oki, who is a top stylist at the salon. He took time to show me different perm styles in the various books and magazines they had and I finally chose one. After that, he evaluated my hair and made some suggestions, like putting more layers in the front so the curls show up better. He took time cutting my hair and though I can’t really tell how it looks since I got a perm, I’m sure he did a fine job since I like my hair at the moment!
The digital perm was an experience — they use a Shiseido machine and not those crazy contraptions that some places use. A couple of the rollers got really hot, but they were accommodating and helped put more foam barriers between the rollers and my hair. It was an interesting experience — I didn’t know getting a digital perm involved washing your hair 3 times, plus the shampoo before the cut.
While waiting, I was served a choice of tea, coffee, or green tea and a few candies — the green tea was actually really good and came in the cutest little teacup.
Eventually, I was freed of the rollers and given a blow dry and a little bit of spraying wax. I loved the results! Now let’s just see how long this lasts.
I would recommend Kiwa Salon as they are professional, friendly, and priced reasonably. Great service all around.

I’ve been going there for my haircuts and recently I decided to get a digital perm. The first time they permed it (end of august), it was still super loose so they asked me to go back again to get it redone. I went back early September (1.5 weeks later) and now it’s been two months and my perm is essentially nonexistent. I’m not sure if the process is the problem or my hair but regardless, it’s a little disappointing to have paid 250 or so for the process and have it last less than 2 months.
I’m still going to go back for my haircuts cause I think they do a good job but I don’t think the digital perm is worth it.

I’ve been a Kiwa fan ever since I moved to NY, even when I was living out in Westchester. Previously, it was easiest for me to take the subway to the 27^th St. location, which I loved! Now, since I live in the east village, the Kiwa Salon East branch is the most convenient for me.
I love that they have later hours to accommodate their working clients. As long as you make a reservation a few days in advance, they always seem to have openings.
I had my hair cut a few weeks ago by a lovely gentleman at this location. I don’t recall his name, but he did a really quick and thorough job with everything from the washing to the blowdrying. I was really happy with the end result. I’m trying to grow my hair out to donate, so I’m really particular about how high my layers go. and I had no complaints about how he cut my hair!
I can’t wait to be back to this location!

Found my NYC salon. Totally recommend for digital perms. Moe is so great! Will come back to her for hair treatment. I wanna apologize to the salon that I’m still not very used to with my salon tip etiquette as I’m new to US n now I know :) how to. Thank u so much for making my bad hair day to my perfect hair day.

Cute, quick, clean, neat, polite. I got a simple hair cut. I was in and out in 40 minutes. The Japanese lady put very nice moisturizers in my hair. She was very pleasant to talk to although her English was limited. The environment was relaxing. The Japanese guy that washed my hair was very polite and gave me a shoulder massage after. The best part is that multiple people would work on my hair together, after they were done they would thank me and then thank each other. I will be back.

I have been getting my cut and Japanese perm by Misaki over a year since I moved to New York and she has been amazing!
I am really picky when it comes to haircuts but she is really patient every time I go in for a cut. She remembers your hair style walking in to the salon and try to recreate your style when she styles it after the cut.
I usually bring a picture with me to show her the length or style and she is very good at consulting the style with you.
I def recommend this place to a lot of people, and I will certainly continue being their regular.
They also bring you tea/​coffee/​water with little treats while you’re getting your hair done!

The receptionist/​reservationist is extremely condescending and dismissive. Unless she is the store owner, she should be fired immediately. Never will use their service ever again coz they are not reasonable or even trying to be understanding of customers’ situations. Honestly, you can charge me as you want. Just think of the businesses you are going to lose if you don’t care about building customers’ loyalty. Maybe you don’t care about customers from different backgrounds at all. Whatever. This is New York. We got more than enough better salons. Give me a break.

This was my first time and it was wonderful. Definitely going back. The price was amazing for a wash, style, moisturizing treatment, and great cut. Less than 45 and then tips. Misaki styled my hair, and when I couldn’t describe the kind of bangs I wanted, she suggested I show a picture and waited patiently while I scrolled through Facebook. I told her I was nervous about cutting too much, and after cutting the most damaged hair she asked about every centimeter while she styled. I asked her two cut my bangs a bit higher and a bit thicker twice, and she was very patient and cheerful about it. In general, the only reason this visit was not perfect is that the person making appointments told me the wrong time. So I would suggest verifying that. Otherwise, they were great for a great price.

Third time with Misaki — best experience so far. Had my digital perm for ~1yr and she made it live again today! Will def come back for her and the excellent shampoo/​massage

I went there to get a Japanese Straightening perm and it came out amazing! My boyfriend came with me to make me company and the staff was so kind to him and sat him right next to me and gave him water the results were wonderful and the staff is even better! Great hair salon

Found out about Kiwa Salon through one of my girlfriends and took advantage of their new customer special!
When I called for an appointment, the cutest lady answered the phone, I just wanted to hug her because she was so adorable. Making an appointment was very pleasant and they even called the day before my appointment to confirm.
I came here because my hair was getting out of control due to the humidity so I scheduled an appointment for a Japanese Straight Perm. The new customer special included 30% off and a free treatment (FYI, the special and free treatment is only redeemable from Tuesday-​Friday). My appointment was with Kiwa’s top stylist, Oki. He was so nice and wonderful! I appreciated the fact that he let me know in advance that my perm would cost more than the price listed because I have long hair. Ayane assisted with washing my hair and she was so sweet! She even got me tea and candies :) Oh and she gave me a massage later too!
Before Oki started working on my hair, he asked me if I ever got the Japanese Straight Perm. I let him know that I used to get it done all the time years ago but now I’m doing it again so I don’t have to worry about doing my hair every morning (time is precious!). The process has changed since I last got it done — it used to take 2x as long. I came into Kiwa Salon on a Friday at 3 PM and was out by 6 PM! Amazing! The only difference that I must say about the perm is that it’s not as straight as the Japanese straight perms I used to get a few years ago but that’s probably because the process has changed throughout the years (and the time it takes to get the perm done now is cut in half). But I actually like it more! I love the more natural look, even though I feel that my hair is not perfectly straight. When I used to get it done years ago, it was pin straight and very flat and it would be very obvious when the perm grew out because you would see a bump in my hair.
My experience at Kiwa was very enjoyable and pleasant. I walked out feeling like a million bucks — my hair was perfect and it smelled incredible. Every single one of their staff members were so sweet. I will definitely be back, hopefully soon before the coupon they gave me for my next visit expires! I highly recommend this place :)

Due to NYC traffic and construction, I was really late to my appointment but they were able to reschedule me for one an hour later, which I am so thankful for!
The hair wash and moisturizing treatment were great.
My hair stylist, Misaki was terrific! She was able to tell the style I wanted based on the pictures I showed her, offered me suggestions, and worked her magic :)
Definitely would return again!
Thank you!

I’ve finally found my go-​to salon! I’ve been to Kiwa three times and will forever be a loyal customer! My stylist, Moe, is so sweet and friendly. The first time I came here I just needed a trim and some bangs and she did a great job. The second time I came, I wanted to chop off all my hair and give it lots of layers. Moe showed me a style similar to the one I wanted in a look-​book and recommended I get the look-​book cut because it would frame my face better. She was right! The cut was super cute and framed my face perfectly, I was very pleased. The third time I came, was for a trim as well but as always, it was perfect. I highly recommend Moe!

They have a 30% off promotion going on for June. I went in today to get a trim. Moe was my stylist – she is lovely and gave me a great cut! I would recommend this place for anyone!

I used to be a person with no true loyalty to salons. I never could really find a salon that really understood asian hair. I had my first experience at a Japanese hair salon in Japan a few years ago and decided I would never go back to an «American salon» again. Kiwa is New York’s answer to a wonderful Japanese salon that can handle my thick and straight black hair.
I’ve been to Kiwa Salon West a couple of times, but because of its constant busy schedule, I have now developed a relationship with Kiwa Salon East. I’ve gone a handful of times now. I have experienced major hair cuts (with enough hair to donate to charity), new bang cuts, and also the lovely medical head spa that I probably should afford to go to more than once in a blue moon! Like many reviewers here, my main stylist is Oki, the top stylist at Kiwa. Even though I visit maybe every 5 – 6 months for a cut, I am so impressed that he remembers who I am despite all of the clients he gets in New York City. I am truly impressed with that level of care.
Oki does a wonderful job of listening to what you want out of a haircut and giving you a look that suits you. I feel very comfortable when I’m sitting and getting a cut with him. He’s very communicative on how to maintain your new hairstyle, and what products you can use to keep your hair clean and healthy. He never tries to upsell you on product, but if asked, he will show you the products he uses on your hair and describes what each one does.
Head spa is something I’ve experienced before at another Japanese salon in the city. For those of you who don’t know, head spa is essentially a luxurious scalp massage and deep cleansing for your hair follicles that allows your hair to grow in a healthier and thicker way. What Kiwa offers is a «medical head spa». They show you your actual scalp (it is actually quite cool… or quite gross, depending on how you look at it!) via a machine that involves a rod connected to a camera feed. They show you a before look, with your roots showing that the follicle is blocked with oil, and an after look with everything clean! The products they use smell nice and are cool to the touch, and the head massage you receive is very relaxing. The first time I received «medical head spa» here, at the very end, they showed me a chart and gave me a complimentary diagnosis of health as well (perhaps found with acupressure points while massaging?) that told me some ailments they noticed that I had unrelated to hair (i.e. stress, lack of sleep) which was kind of cool but they didn’t tell me anything related to that the second time I went. I’m not sure if that is something they do anymore, but it is worth asking before you decide to book for a head spa. Diagnosis or not, it is quite a nice pampering service!
Asian haired gals, if you’re looking for a good hair salon, check out Kiwa! They know what’s up with our hair.

Wanted to start the new year with a new hairstyle. I took a chance by trying out a new salon, but I was pretty excited to try it out based on the other Unilocal reviews. I made an appointment with Oki for a cut and digital perm. Since I was a new client, I received a 30% discount and a complimentary conditioning treatment too (check their website for specials). Oki evaluated my hair, discussed how much to cut (several inches), and we looked at some pictures to see what kind of waves I wanted (loose but defined). I have long, thick, straight but frizzy Asian hair, but after about 2.5 hours, Oki was able to transform my hair to exactly what I wanted. He showed me how to style it, and recommended what products to use (but didn’t push any sales which was nice).
Everyone was very nice and polite. At check out, they gave me a card for 20% for next treatment (within 3 months) and a 30% discount for a friend. I will definitely be back.

For just $ 40, I got my hair (including my bangs) cut and layered! They also gave me some deep conditioning treatment (ah…so relaxing) and a mini massage (just a few minutes, but that felt goood!).
I enjoyed getting my hair cut here, though it was a little shorter than I asked for. Ah, well-​hair grows and it’s probably healthier to chop off those split ends, anyways! Take advantage of their January, Tues-​Fri sale (only works for this location, fyi) that’s listed on their website!

Yay, i finally found my default salon in NY! Even though I live near ktown (with an endless amount of salons), I really got the feeling that Kiwa appreciates customer loyalty and really takes their time to make sure you leave feeling happy and pampered.
The shine of the salon doesn’t matter, but the details in the customer service will definitely win you over!
I arrived for my pre-​scheduled appointment and they took down my information, and re-​iterated that I was going to receive a 30% discount off my haircut and a free Japanese conditioning treatment for their August special.
I really appreciate that preface you with every step of your visit in a soft, polite manner. My stylist Musashi was always speaking Japanese phrases here and there, but I could still understand him completely. Not to mention he was wearing a casual two-​piece plaid outfit that I wish I could pull off, with curly shoulder-​length hair that none of my guy friends would be able to pull off. That guy has ~~*style*~~
I showed him a photo of a hairstyle I liked, explained what I wanted, and he asked that I email the photo to the salon email. Then I was taken to the washing station where my hair was shampooed and conditioned thoroughly… my scalp felt wonderful and for that moment I forgot all the things I had to get done at home hehe.
It was even better when the assistant offered me a shoulder massage which felt amazing and strong despite her soft appearance.
Musashi listened to all my requests (soft layering, no razor, etc) and then even recommended that I should have my hair thinned, which is something that I had always thought about to myself! Even more so, he thinned mostly on my left side, which definitely has more hair, so you can tell he definitely looks at your head objectively and doesn’t just apply the same cut to everyone~
Additionally, he really paid attention to the natural segments of my hair because he cut the layers using a technique I hadn’t experienced before at other salons.
I am super happy with the cut. I smell great~~. My hair looks nice and neat. They definitely use good products (Moroccan Oil brand stuff, etc), and they’re committed to gaining loyal customers, to which I am only happy to oblige!