Opening a beauty or barber shop — what the health centre checks in your premises, and the use-zone rules

In short: for a beauty or barber shop, the health centre checks two things — whether you can clearly separate the work area from the waiting area, and whether the washing, disinfection, lighting and ventilation meet the standard. On top of that, unlike a restaurant or a clinic, a salon is subject to the use-zone restrictions of the Building Standards Act. The opening notification is filed "in advance," and you may not use the premises until the structural inspection has been confirmed. Confirm the use zone and the partition before you sign, and you avoid the rework.

You lease a place told "all that's left is the fit-out," and then, at the notification stage, the health centre asks you to redo the partition. The same rework that hits restaurants and care facilities hits beauty and barber shops. This article is for beauticians and barbers opening a shop in Tokyo, and for those leasing to them: what you can confirm before signing the lease, set out in order from the Hairdressers Act, the Barbers Act and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare guidance. Final confirmation rests with the specified administrative authority and the health centre.

What is the health centre looking at in the premises?

It looks at the "structure and equipment." Article 12 of the 美容師法 (Hairdressers Act, Act No. 163 of 1957) provides: "The operator of a beauty salon must not use the salon until its structure and equipment have been inspected by the prefectural governor and confirmed as suitable for taking the measures under Article 13." The Barbers Act is the same: Article 11-2 of the 理容師法 (Barbers Act, Act No. 234 of 1947) makes the inspection and confirmation of structure and equipment a precondition of use.

In other words, if the partition or equipment falls short when the health centre comes after the fit-out is done, you cannot open as-is. That is the starting point of choosing premises.

So what must be met? The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Guidelines for hygiene management in barber and beauty shops" (Notification Kanshi No. 95 of 1 June 1981) sets out the approach to structure and equipment (accessed 24 August 2026).

Item	The guideline's approach
Partition	The work area and the waiting area must be clearly separated; the work area separated by partition from living/rest areas
Lighting	Illuminance on the work surface during work 300 lux or more is desirable (the lower limit is set by prefectural ordinance)
Ventilation	Carbon-dioxide concentration in the work area 5,000 ppm or less (1,000 ppm or less desirable)
Washing	A running-water device with a hot-water supply
Disinfection	Equipment or apparatus to disinfect tools, cloths and towels
Storage	Storage that keeps skin-contact tools disinfected-vs-undisinfected apart

Note that the specific figures — the work-room floor area, the number of wash basins or shampoo units — are set by each prefecture's ordinance. Article 13 of the Hairdressers Act and Article 12 of the Barbers Act list, as hygiene measures, "keeping clean," "disinfection equipment," and "sufficient daylight, lighting and ventilation," and further require "other hygiene measures prescribed by prefectural ordinance." The figures differ by locality. Confirm with the health centre with jurisdiction at the outset.

Is there a nationwide rule on work-area size or the number of shampoo units?

There is no nationwide figure. Specific standards — floor area, the number of shampoo units, the position of the washing area — are set by each prefecture's ordinance (or that of the city/special ward that runs the health centre), as noted above. So "it passed at this size in the next prefecture" will not necessarily carry over.

What is worth confirming on the property side is less the ordinance figure itself than whether the place has the makings to meet it.

Confirm before signing	Why it matters
A layout you can partition into work area and waiting area	The partition is a core requirement; a one-room unit may not allow a separate waiting area
Position and bore of water supply/drainage	The washing area needs running and hot water; more shampoo units means more plumbing cost
Ventilation present / room to add	The CO₂ standard is met by ventilation
Electrical capacity	Shampoo water heating, dryers and HVAC draw capacity; upgrades cost time and money
Waterproofing and cleanability of floors/walls	The makings of "always kept clean"; also tied to restoration scope

Design of plumbing, ventilation and electrical capacity is the work of the contractor (designer). We (the real estate agent) assist with the groundwork of whether the property can meet these conditions, and with negotiating terms with the lessor. We do not do the equipment design itself. Why the same rework arises with restaurant premises is covered at why care-facility premises are hard to find; which parts of the lease to read, at reading a lease.

What differs between a second-hand fit-out and a bare shell?

A great deal. If the previous tenant was a beauty or barber shop, the washing area, plumbing and ventilation may remain. But "it was a salon before, so it's fine" is not a guarantee.

Two reasons. First, the inspection and confirmation of structure and equipment is taken afresh for each salon (Hairdressers Act Article 12 / Barbers Act Article 11-2); the previous shop's confirmation does not carry over to the new operator. Second, ordinances and their operation may have been amended, so the standard at the time the previous shop opened may differ from what is required now.

	Second-hand (was a salon)	Bare shell
Washing / plumbing	Often remains (inspect)	New; position and bore from design
Ventilation	May be reusable	New
Partition (work / waiting)	May follow the old layout	Designed from scratch
Inspection / confirmation	Taken afresh	Taken afresh
Initial-cost tendency	Easier to contain	Tends to rise

Even with a second-hand fit-out, it is safer to inspect the state of the equipment before handover and confirm it meets the health centre's standard. How the lease allocates ownership, repair and removal of the equipment left behind is a point peculiar to second-hand premises.

When do the use zone and building confirmation become an issue?

Here is the biggest difference from a clinic. A clinic can be built in every use zone under the Building Standards Act's use restrictions, but a beauty or barber shop is treated as a "shop (service-business shop)" and is subject to use-zone restrictions.

Article 130-3, item 3 of the Enforcement Order of the Building Standards Act (Cabinet Order No. 338 of 1950) lists, among the combined-use dwellings that may be built in a Category-1 low-rise exclusive residential zone, "a barber shop, beauty salon … and other similar service-business shops." But there is a condition: at least half of the total floor area must be residential, and the shop portion must total 50 m² or less. So in a Category-1 low-rise exclusive residential zone it cannot be a standalone shop — only a small combined-use dwelling.

In a Category-2 low-rise exclusive residential zone, under Table 2, (ro), item 2 of the Act and Article 130-5-2 of the Order, a shop prescribed by order (including a barber shop or beauty salon) may be built where the total floor area is within 150 m² and the third floor or above is not put to that use. In Category-1 medium-to-high-rise exclusive residential zones and above, the area restriction eases.

Use zone	Treatment of a beauty/barber shop
Category-1 low-rise exclusive residential	Combined-use dwelling only (residence ≥ ½ of total floor area; shop ≤ 50 m²)
Category-2 low-rise exclusive residential	Order-prescribed shop, within 150 m², not used on the 3rd floor or above
Category-1/2 medium-to-high-rise exclusive residential	Area restriction eases; easier to build
Residential / quasi-residential / neighbourhood-commercial / commercial / quasi-industrial	May be built

And when converting an office or a shop of another trade into a salon, a use-change confirmation application may be required depending on the floor area. Article 87, paragraph 1 of the Act applies the confirmation procedure where the use is changed to a special building under Article 6, paragraph 1, item 1 (a use in Table 1, column (i), over 200 m²); a beauty salon does not usually fall among those special buildings. Even so, apart from whether a confirmation is required, the use-zone restriction (Article 48) and the substantive rules on daylight and ventilation still apply. The use-zone feasibility and whether a use-change confirmation is needed can be confirmed with the specified administrative authority before signing. How the use zone and floor-area ratio move pricing is at why Japanese land prices change with the floor-area ratio; a case where fire and municipal confirmation must precede the contract, at conditions of a property where you can run a minpaku.

Have a question about your situation?

Tell us about your property search or plans to sell.

Chat on LINEContact us

Who files the opening notification, and when? How do you set the schedule against the lease?

Article 11 of the Hairdressers Act provides that "a person who intends to open a beauty salon must notify the prefectural governor in advance of the salon's location, structure and equipment … and other necessary matters." Article 11 of the Barbers Act is the same. "In advance" means before opening — the order differs from a restaurant's business permit or a clinic's opening notification (within 10 days after opening).

Further, you may not use the premises until the structural inspection and confirmation (Hairdressers Act Article 12 / Barbers Act Article 11-2). So the flow is this.

Order	What to do	Who
1	Confirm use zone and whether a use-change confirmation is needed	Specified administrative authority; licensed real estate agent
2	Groundwork on partition, plumbing, ventilation, electrical capacity	Licensed real estate agent; contractor
3	Lease contract	Licensed real estate agent
4	Fit-out (partition, washing area, disinfection equipment, lighting, ventilation)	Contractor
5	File the opening notification "in advance"	Operator (beautician/barber)
6	Health-centre on-site inspection (structure) and confirmation	Health centre
7	Begin use (open) after confirmation	Operator

The property contract is a precondition of the procedure. A beauty salon with two or more staff must place a managing beautician (Hairdressers Act Article 12-3), and a barber shop a managing barber (Barbers Act Article 11-4); these are personnel requirements, prepared separately from the property. Preparation of documents submitted to the health centre, such as the opening notification, is undertaken by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office. The counter, forms, ordinance figures and intake operation vary. Check the page of the health centre with jurisdiction directly at the outset. Business property in general is at investment and business real estate; the link between offices and permits, at company formation and choosing an office.

Who should you consult?

Investigation of the property, brokerage, and the sale or lease contract are handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent, Tokyo Governor (1) No. 113304). Preparation of documents submitted to public offices, such as the opening notification for a beauty or barber shop, is handled by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office. Where a use change or building confirmation is involved, the design is handled by an architect; the plumbing and ventilation design of the fit-out, by the contractor.

These two (the real estate agent and the administrative scrivener office) are independent business entities. You engage each directly. We neither pay nor accept referral fees or introduction commissions. Registration goes to a judicial scrivener, tax to a tax accountant, and labour matters to a certified social insurance labour consultant — each engaged by you directly. Consultation is free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can I open a beauty shop in a residential area (Category-1 low-rise exclusive residential zone)?
A. As a rule, not as a standalone shop. Under Article 130-3, item 3 of the Enforcement Order, a barber shop or beauty salon may be built only as a "combined-use dwelling," on condition that at least half of the total floor area is residential and the shop portion totals 50 m² or less. Feasibility varies by property, so confirm at the specified administrative authority's counter.

Q. If the premises were a beauty shop before, will the opening notification simply pass?
A. Not necessarily. The inspection and confirmation of structure and equipment is taken afresh for each operator (Hairdressers Act Article 12; Barbers Act Article 11-2); the previous shop's confirmation does not carry over. Ordinances or their operation may have been amended. Inspect the state of the equipment left behind and its conformity to the current standard before handover, and confirm with the health centre.

Q. Is there a statutory figure for work-area size or the number of shampoo units?
A. There is no nationwide figure. Article 13 of the Hairdressers Act and Article 12 of the Barbers Act require "other hygiene measures prescribed by prefectural ordinance," and the specific figures for area and equipment are set by each prefecture (or the city/special ward that runs the health centre). Confirm with the health centre with jurisdiction.

Q. When should I file the opening notification? Before the property contract?
A. Article 11 of the Hairdressers Act and Article 11 of the Barbers Act require notification "in advance" (before opening). You also may not use the premises until the structural inspection and confirmation. So the order is: property contract → fit-out → opening notification → health-centre inspection and confirmation → opening. The property contract is a precondition of the procedure.

Sources (primary)

• e-Gov "美容師法" (Hairdressers Act) — Act No. 163 of 1957. Art. 2 (definitions of beauty/beautician/beauty salon); Art. 11 (opening notification, notifying location and structure to the governor in advance); Art. 12 (no use until the structure and equipment are inspected and confirmed); Art. 12-3 (managing beautician); Art. 13 (measures for the salon — cleanliness, disinfection equipment, daylight/lighting/ventilation, and other measures prescribed by prefectural ordinance). Accessed 24 August 2026.
• e-Gov "理容師法" (Barbers Act) — Act No. 234 of 1947. Art. 1-2 (definitions of barbering/barber/barber shop); Art. 11 (opening notification); Art. 11-2 (no use until the structure and equipment are inspected and confirmed); Art. 11-4 (managing barber); Art. 12 (hygiene measures for the shop, including measures prescribed by prefectural ordinance). Accessed 24 August 2026.
• MHLW, "Guidelines for hygiene management in barber and beauty shops" — Notification Kanshi No. 95 of 1 June 1981. Clear separation of work area and waiting area; work-surface illuminance 300 lux or more desirable; CO₂ concentration 5,000 ppm or less (1,000 ppm or less desirable); a washing area with running/hot water; disinfection equipment; storage keeping disinfected and undisinfected tools apart. Accessed 24 August 2026.
• e-Gov "建築基準法施行令" (Enforcement Order of the Building Standards Act) — Cabinet Order No. 338 of 1950. Art. 130-3 item 3 (barber shop/beauty salon etc. as a combined-use dwelling in a Category-1 low-rise exclusive residential zone — residence ≥ ½ of total floor area, shop ≤ 50 m²); Art. 130-5-2 (shops in a Category-2 low-rise exclusive residential zone). Accessed 24 August 2026.
• e-Gov "建築基準法" (Building Standards Act) — Act No. 201 of 1950. Table 2 (i)/(ro) item 2 (buildings by use zone); Art. 48 (use-zone restrictions); Art. 87(1) (confirmation on use change). Accessed 24 August 2026.

The specific figures for structure and equipment (floor area, the number of wash basins or shampoo units) are set by the ordinance of each prefecture / health-centre city / special ward and differ by locality. This article does not assess any individual property. Confirm with the health centre with jurisdiction and the specified administrative authority at the outset. Whether a use-change confirmation is required, and use-zone feasibility, vary with the property's floor area, structure and zone designation; final confirmation rests with the specified administrative authority.

This article is general information. It does not judge or guarantee the feasibility of any particular property or acceptance of an opening notification. Investigation and brokerage, and the sale/lease contract, are undertaken by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent); preparation of the opening notification and other documents submitted to public offices, by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office — independent business entities, engaged separately and directly. We neither pay nor accept referral fees.

About the author

Joji Uramatsu — licensed real estate transaction specialist (Tokyo Governor registration No. 293544) and administrative scrivener (registration No. 25087022). Representative Director, Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent, Tokyo Governor (1) No. 113304); principal, Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office. Kohinata, Bunkyo, Tokyo, about five minutes' walk from Myogadani station. Property and paperwork are put on the same table. Full profile: author page.