(Aunty) Kay has been our family barber for well over 40 years! She's cut my hair from when I was a baby in the booster seat, my father's hair, AND my grandfather's hair! I've seen her keep the shop consistent throughout my 25+ years of going to her! You'll always hear the radio playing in Japanese, with actual comfy bench seats inside the shop as well. They offer a separate shiatsu service, typically done by a gentleman that is in the room next door. The prices are really hard to beat; as of July 25th, 2025, a simple haircut was $16, cash! She was stunned when I told her recently about the going rate for haircuts now! For those looking for a #4 guide, a burst fade, razor drawn designs, eyebrow lines, textured fringe, etc, unfortunately, this is NOT the barbershop for you. She will politely tell you that that's not what she does. She's a self described "Old Fashioned Barber", where everything is done the old fashioned way...scissors over comb, freehand shaping, light product usage after the cut, and most importantly...no ring lights/phones out for social media posting! At times it can be tricky to get an appointment with her, as she only does it through in-person visits/phone calls, getting booked incredibly fast! I know that she does enjoy traveling, so definitely make arrangements prior. Because she runs such a tight ship, make sure to explicitly say what you'd like prior to your appointment time, not afterwards (like if you want a shave/her to wash out your hair after your haircut). That being said, you're going to get an incredibly experienced barber with steady hands and decades of experience. That's definitely hard to come by, considering she's nearly 80! I hope to have my son have (Aunty) Kay cut his hair some day before she stops cutting hair for good!
Jan 2011
This place is great! I've been debating getting a haircut for ages because they always seem to mess it up. I've got wavy hair that I flat iron and every stylist always gets this idea that if they just layer it right I'll wear it curly. Forget it sister, all you've done is wreck my hair. Anyway, it was getting out of hand and I just needed a trim, so I wandered down to the Aiea shopping center and figured I could just walk into a place. After being turned down at a couple of salons there for not having an appointment (who knew Aiea got so booked up??) I came upon the Aiea Barber Shop. There wasn't a line, the people were friendly, why not? When I said I just wanted a trim, she understood. When she realized my hair had wave, she didn't change her cutting technique, just turned on her flat iron. Hallelujah! And all for $18! I'll be back
Google: 5/5
(Aunty) Kay has been our family barber for well over 40 years! She's cut my hair from when I was a baby in the booster seat, my father's hair, AND my grandfather's hair! I've seen her keep the shop consistent throughout my 25+ years of going to her! You'll always hear the radio playing in Japanese, with actual comfy bench seats inside the shop as well. They offer a separate shiatsu service, typically done by a gentleman that is in the room next door. The prices are really hard to beat; as of July 25th, 2025, a simple haircut was $16, cash! She was stunned when I told her recently about the going rate for haircuts now! For those looking for a #4 guide, a burst fade, razor drawn designs, eyebrow lines, textured fringe, etc, unfortunately, this is NOT the barbershop for you. She will politely tell you that that's not what she does. She's a self described "Old Fashioned Barber", where everything is done the old fashioned way...scissors over comb, freehand shaping, light product usage after the cut, and most importantly...no ring lights/phones out for social media posting! At times it can be tricky to get an appointment with her, as she only does it through in-person visits/phone calls, getting booked incredibly fast! I know that she does enjoy traveling, so definitely make arrangements prior. Because she runs such a tight ship, make sure to explicitly say what you'd like prior to your appointment time, not afterwards (like if you want a shave/her to wash out your hair after your haircut). That being said, you're going to get an incredibly experienced barber with steady hands and decades of experience. That's definitely hard to come by, considering she's nearly 80! I hope to have my son have (Aunty) Kay cut his hair some day before she stops cutting hair for good!
This place is great! I've been debating getting a haircut for ages because they always seem to mess it up. I've got wavy hair that I flat iron and every stylist always gets this idea that if they just layer it right I'll wear it curly. Forget it sister, all you've done is wreck my hair. Anyway, it was getting out of hand and I just needed a trim, so I wandered down to the Aiea shopping center and figured I could just walk into a place. After being turned down at a couple of salons there for not having an appointment (who knew Aiea got so booked up??) I came upon the Aiea Barber Shop. There wasn't a line, the people were friendly, why not? When I said I just wanted a trim, she understood. When she realized my hair had wave, she didn't change her cutting technique, just turned on her flat iron. Hallelujah! And all for $18! I'll be back