Kenichiro Honda is a high-achieving CEO of a discount store chain. Today, while chewing out a subordinate over his cell phone, he is driving to the wedding of a politician's son—an event he has no desire to attend, but goes to for business reasons. Noticing his hair and beard have grown out, he pulls into a barbershop he happens to see.
It is an intensely orderly place. Welcomed by 13 staff members, the confused CEO only asks for a shave. However, the staff immediately begin working on his hair as well. Everything in the barbershop moves under strict, absolute order. One foams the cream, another drapes the sheet, another sweeps up the cut hair... Frustrated by their overly polite yet mocking demeanor, the CEO is nonetheless intimidated by their attitude and has no choice but to leave himself in their hands.
Eventually, the haircut ends. As the CEO tries to leave, the staff member who seems to be the manager neatens his appearance as if finishing a workday, and walks out of the shop. Irritated by the others ignoring him to wave off the manager, the CEO tries to leave, but for some reason, he cannot cross the threshold. According to the other staff, the system dictates that when one customer arrives, one person is allowed to leave. Until then, everyone must live under strict, thorough order.
Driven by rage, the CEO begins to thrash around, but the staff hold him down and tie him up. Screaming "Let me out of here!", no one pays him any attention, and the staff simply return to practicing their barber training. Eventually, he becomes dizzy from hunger, but one of the staff tells him that meals are not served unless one obeys the order. He is told that if he sits in the chair and accepts the order, food will be provided, but the CEO stubbornly refuses to sit. Seeing this, another staff member asks, "Is giving away leftover food a disruption of order?" At those words, the staff freeze, and then place scraps of food at the CEO's seat. At the empty dining table, the CEO devours his first meal in a long time, trembling as he sheds tears.
Starting the next day, the CEO joins the circle of order, beginning with sweeping the floors. Seeing him like this, the staff finally start offering him strict yet warm words as his seniors. Though he feels bewildered by work so far removed from his former self, he gradually starts to find enjoyment in it. When a new customer shows anger just as he once did, he even offers gentle words to counsel them.
One day in the dormitory, he is spoken to by one of the seniors. The senior explains that there are four stages to adapting to a new environment: curiosity toward the new environment, frustration over the loss of previous freedom, and acting like a know-it-all to juniors. Only by going through these can one finally make the culture their own and become a resident. However, those who leave this barbershop experience one more stage.
Eventually, the day comes for that senior to journey out of the barbershop. He was a postal worker, and he said he would see with his own eyes what the final stage lying ahead really is. With 12 staff members remaining, the one with the highest rank cuts the hair of the next incoming customer and is able to leave the shop. That customer then joins the very bottom of the rank as a new staff member. Since customers arrive only about once a month, it takes over a year before someone can leave.
Having initially rebelled but ultimately swallowed by the order, over a year passed before he finally reached the top rank. He cut the customer's hair and was finally allowed to leave. Dressed in a suit for the first time in a long time, he leaves the barbershop as everyone sees him off. Having finished his long labor, the CEO wears a refreshing expression. Compared to the grim face he wore when he first arrived, it is as if a curse has been lifted.
When he steps out into the outside world amidst everyone's applause, his cell phone rings. The caller is his former subordinate. Stunned by the subordinate's joyful voice, he asks what date it is. The outside world remains exactly as it was one year ago. In reality, no time had passed at all since the CEO entered the barbershop.
Yet, contrary to his subordinate's ecstatic voice, the CEO is dumbfounded. Kenichiro is plunged into confusion. Was *this* the "next stage" the senior spoke of? Right before his eyes lies a fallen bicycle belonging to a mail carrier. He had thought he was trapped in an absurd, unreasonable world, only to step outside and realize that that very world was a happy one.
He turns around, trying to return to that barbershop. But the barbershop is nowhere to be found. Can he no longer adapt to reality? He wants to go back to the barbershop, but the shop is no longer there... "I can't see the barbershop... Let me back in... I can't see it... I can't see it... Let me in...!"
***
A quick supplementary note: The story never explicitly spells out what that "other stage" actually was. It basically just means falling into despair over the original world and wanting to return to the barbershop, where there was peace despite being controlled—sort of a battle against the homing instinct that makes you yearn to return to your old reality.
And this is the opening narration by Tamori (the storyteller): "A chained dog, and an unleashed dog. The chained one has no freedom, but gets meals and walks at fixed times. Meanwhile, the unleashed dog is free to walk and eat all day long. Now, which one is truly happy...?"
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