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'Tuwid': How a man transformed his life, one hair rebond session at a time

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ABS-CBN News

It’s past midnight. While many people are asleep, freelance hair stylist Jiro Kinoyama and his wife, Angel, are still working on their last customer for the day.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGkgIeJsp1o" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>After putting the chemicals needed for hair rebonding, Kinoyama then blow-dries the hair, and finally, straightens it out using a flat iron. Passion for work and adrenaline are keeping him up. This is Kinoyama&#x27;s bread and butter, and lately, it has been providing well for his family. He admits however, that it has been hard for him to thrive in an industry that is unusual for someone like him.“I wasn’t accepted right away. They didn’t trust me with their hair. Maybe, because I’m a straight guy so they assumed that I wasn’t creative enough. They also weren’t sure about my gender,” he says.Kinoyama was raised by his relatives, which is a common setup for many Filipino children whose parents work overseas. His mother went to Japan for work when he was very young, while he never met his Japanese father. Kinoyama and his mother only got to talk about ‘balikbayan’ boxes, no more, no less.In his early years, his grandmother was the one who looked after him. But when his grandmother aged and became frail, Kinoyama started to live with other relatives who could take him in. But he was an extra mouth to feed in those households, which weren’t well-off to begin with. Without financial support from his mother, Kinoyama was passed on from one relative to another.“There was even a time when I was about to transfer to one aunt, but we had to go back because she changed her mind about having me,” he says.Soon, Kinoyama realized that he had to fend for himself.“When I was in high school, I had canned goods inside my bag. I used to sell it in school, to my teachers. I would flunk my classes, but I would not miss a chance making money.”Eventually, his relatives had their own growing families to nurture and could no longer afford to take him in. Kinoyama became a working student, but not for long.He took on different blue-collar jobs to survive. He became a jeepney barker, and then he also worked as a waiter in a fast-food chain.“I enjoyed being a waiter because it was totally different from what I was used to do. I didn’t have to wake up at five in the morning. I didn’t have to stand under the rain to call for passengers.”However, as a contractual worker, Kinoyama found it difficult to make ends meet. He then worked as a bagger at a local mall, where he met his would-be wife. It was then when life became a bit bearable.“I was tired of being alone. So I thought if I got married, maybe I won’t be lonely anymore. I want to have a family of my own to take care of, so that all my hard work would be worth my while.”They eventually started to live together in a small room along with her many siblings. They had to make do, and it was this hardship that motivated Kinoyama to provide a better life for his family.However, opportunities were limited. With a child on the way, Kinoyama had to make sure that he will be able to earn enough for his family.“Someone offered me a job at a salon. They taught me how to wash other people’s hair, sweep the floor. I had zero knowledge. But it wasn’t long before I learned how to actually handle people’s hair. I eventually learned how to blow-dry.”Although it was uneasy for Kinoyama at first, even awkward with his female customers, he saw the potential of earning in hairstyling.“And then I started to earn more. From P300, I started earning P500 in a day, and then P600. It only went up. And I was just an assistant. I wasn’t even a stylist then,” he shares. But it was only a matter of time before he got promoted. “It felt good. I was the one styling hair and I was able to take home more money for my family. I told myself I had to work harder fixing people’s hair. If you weren’t good, it’s easy for customers to complain. I didn’t want that to happen so I did everything to improve.”After almost eight years of working in hair salons, Kinoyama decided to go solo and ventured online. Although he had his loyal clients, some of his first new customers didn’t trust his skills because of his gender. There were even times when he even got into trouble. “One customer booked for my services, and the husband didn’t know. She was alone when I got there. After a few hours, her husband came home and he was drunk. He didn’t know that I was fixing his wife’s hair. When he saw me, he started strangling me. He asked what I was doing with his wife. But he eventually saw that I was rebonding her hair. There was some sort of commotion and they argued. He even asked for my identification, NBI, etc.,” he narrates.“I shouldn’t be the one adjusting in those situations. They should keep an open mind because I’m only doing my job.”Kinoyama decided to make his wife his business partner. She’s the one to handle doubting clients. As time went by, Kinoyama grew more and more successful as a freelance hairstylist. His client bookings are made so many months in advance.“People knock on our door unannounced. Sometimes they’re as many as six... Other times they would book us in Makati or in Malabon and other areas too. It’s as if we’re only gaining more clients from the ones we had before and they just keep coming. Now I even get to pick whose hair I fix first.”Looking at his progress, his efforts are finally paying off. Now, it’s not all money anymore. “It’s flattering to know that I was able to fix something that other stylists couldn’t. It’s fulfilling that I am able to repair their hair and make them look good. Now they have the confidence to go out with a smile on their face. That’s what motivates me to keep doing what I do.”It&#x27;s almost 2 a.m. when they have finally finished hair rebonding five clients. The women take photos of themselves, all smiles in front of their cellphone cameras. This is a common scene for satisfied clients.It is another day for Kinoyama; he is on his way again to work on other clients. He may have doubted himself before, but straightening hair, apparently, has straightened his life. A product of a broken family, Kinoyama harbors no ill feelings to his parents. “I hope they’re proud of me— if they ever get the chance to know what I’ve been through.”Catch this episode&#x27;s replays on ANC on the following timeslots: Saturday, 5 a.m.; Sunday, 5:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m.; Monday, 4:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 4 a.m.

Jiro Kinoyama is the man of the house. But outside his home, he is the man in charge straightening out people's curly locks.

Jiro Kinoyama is the man of the house. But outside his home, he is the man in charge straightening out people's curly locks.