About Kenji & JapanShears
I’m Kenji Thompson—Melbourne-based stylist, educator, and maintenance tragic. JapanShears.com.au exists so you can make confident tool investments without a sales pitch in sight.
Mission
Equip Australian stylists and barbers with independent, Japanese-sourced intel so every shear purchase, sharpening booking, and ergonomic tweak protects your hands and your income.
Values
- Integrity: No affiliates, no paid placements—ever.
- Practicality: Every guide is written to ship on the floor tomorrow.
- Craft respect: Japanese-language sources and factory protocols inform the details.
- Career longevity: Ergonomics and maintenance sit alongside tool talk.
Fast facts
- 20+ years on salon floors from Sydney CBD to Fitzroy barbers.
- Bilingual upbringing means direct access to Japanese factory notes and trade journals.
- Builds maintenance logs and sharpening schedules for mobile and multi-chair teams.
- Runs small-group tool fit workshops focused on ergonomics and RSI prevention.
From the floor to the research desk
2003–2010
Cut my teeth in high-volume Sydney salons while translating Japanese shear manuals for mentors who couldn’t read them.
2011–2018
Shifted to Melbourne barbershops, built a sharpening log system to reduce downtime, and started hosting ergonomics workshops.
2019–2023
Compiled factory interviews, Japanese trade publications, and on-floor testing into the first JapanShears internal wiki.
2024+
Launched JapanShears.com.au as an independent guide—no commissions, just transparent research and actionable playbooks.
Recognition & partnerships
- Guest educator for Australian Hairdressing Council regional meetings.
- Contributor to Japan Scissor Shop’s bilingual terminology updates.
- Consultant for Melbourne-based sharpening technicians refining convex workflows.
- Regular judge for salon ergonomics audits across VIC and NSW.
What’s next
- Publishing Japanese-to-English translations of factory maintenance protocols.
- Rolling out mobile-first micro-courses on technique + maintenance combos.
- Building a verified sharpener directory with live lead times across AU.
How can I help today?
Whether you’re building a starter kit, auditing maintenance logs, or battling hand fatigue, send through the context. I’ll point you straight to the guide, dossier, or workflow that fits.