Sam's Nail

Fukuoka, like any other cosmopolitan city, has its fair share of nail salons. I was desperate for a relaxing day at the salon and I had a wonderfully tacky nail design in mind. Nail art is a fascination of mine and I always make time to visit a salon when I am in Japan.

Since I was new to the prefecture I wasn't sure which nail salon had the best deals, or better yet, best reputation. Hot Pepper Beauty is a coupon magazine (available in print and online) filled with the latest deals and information on local hair, nail and eyelash extension salons. With a perfunctory search for nail salons in the fashionable Tenjin district I stumbled upon Sam's Nail, which happened to be offering six salon specials each with different variants of nail design packages ranging from simple to incredibly detailed to suit the price points of consumers.

Booking an appointment on Hot Pepper Beauty is easy, just register for an account and follow the prompts. Plus, you can select which coupon you'd like to use when making the appointment. If you cannot read Japanese, you can always try to use an online translator.

As for nail appointments, always be punctual. Appointments for more complicated nail designs typically take around two and a half hours. Give yourself some extra time to find the salon and show up a few minutes early.

Sam's Nail is found on the sixth floor of the JINS (glasses store) building across from H&M on Nishi-dori, just a short walk from Tenjinminani or Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Stations. The salon is very girly with rainbow heart-shaped tiles covering the walls. Once removing your shoes and stepping into a cozy pair of slippers, you'll be shown to your manicure station. Since I requested a more thorough design, I had two nailists, Ayumi and Yoshie, work on my nails at the same time. Sam's has an expansive design sampler selection to choose from but feel free to create your own style. At the end of the session, you'll be served a beverage of your choice with a small treat.

Sam's Nail is exceptionally clean and employs skilled and talented nail artists. They specialize in highly technical designs that go beyond the basic gel gradation manicure. Many of their clientele favor the long talon-type nails with numerous stones, 3D art pieces and glitter.

The manager, Mikiko Sakagami, can speak some English, as she has spent time abroad working in various salons in the States gathering new ideas and techniques. Besides getting a lovely new set of nails, chatting with the nailists is a great way to practice your Japanese.

Getting your nails professionally done at a salon in Japan is a special experience. It can be pricey but once in a while it's okay to treat yourself!