About Vijin Salon in New York

Salon Vijin Hair Care Group is a full service beauty salon for both women and men.

Creating a great look starts with the right Hair Cut. To see the right shape in every head of hair, and then realize it. The result is a cut that goes beyond the style of the itme to a look that is timely and above all. We offer blanced combination of high-style fashion-cuts; coiffure and unique formulas to color. hi-light, perm, and esthetic straighten all types of hair.

Owner: Minoru Minamida

Arrived in NY in 1979. Studied under Mark Pipino, Senior Art Director, of the Vidal Sassoon Institute. Performed salon work at Pipino & Buccheri on 5th Avenue & 55th Street, participated in TV advertisements, fashion magazines and other freelance work. Obtained New York State Cosmetologist License, then granted permanent US residence (Green Card).

Covered in New York's "Best Bets" July 1983 magazine issue, the first to introduce Japanese "Straight Perms" throughout the US. "Japanese Straight Perm" was introduced in American Vogue in April 1984. Also provided many topics for Mademoiselle, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Modern Salon and other top-flight magazines.

Opened SALON VIJIN on 57th Street Manhattan in 1986. Moved to current address at Rockefeller Center in autumn 1992, marked 19th year in business in July of this year.

Opened SALON VIJIN in Atlanta for Japanese residents living in the area based on request from The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia in 1992, actively performing salon work in New York and Atlanta for 13 years.

Have held hair shows sponsored by SALON VIJIN in Manhattan every 2 years from 1997.

Societal contributions include visits to Angkor Children Hospital(AHC) located in Siem Reap, Cambodia's 2nd largest city, for 1 week every year in February since 1999 in order to color and cut patient hair. Will continue this volunteer activity for 7th time at next visit in February 2006. Over 100 persons from the beauty salon industry have participated in this activity to date.
Held charity event with over 1000 persons at ZEPP Music Theater in Tokyo to raise funds totaling $20,000 for the Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) in November 2003.

Remodeled entire salon interior along the new concept line "Healing & Relaxation" in 2004.
Also added a negative ion relaxation zone in the salon.

1.	Installed a negative ion air purifier in the salon, creating an odor-free environment
2.	Negative ion shower water
3.	Negative ion perm and color liquids using APF (Special liquids which convert all alkalines to weak acids)
4.	Installed a negative ion steamer
5.	Installed a negative ion water purifier provide negative ion water for coffee and tea for customers. Provide health water service
6.	Changed all hairdryers used by staff to ion dryers
7.	Shampoos, conditioners used at salon for customers are ion products
8.	Sell shower heads for negative ion water use
9.	Negative ion products sold
10.	Added multiple treatment menus using a negative ion system

These 10 items together create an all-new hair salon incorporating an ion hair care concept.
Currently working on research into more beautiful hair based on this new concept, and bringing higher quality "Straight Perms" into my salon life work, yet continue volunteer activities in Cambodia, devoting all of my energies daily to these efforts.