When I went looking for a men's esthetic (men's esthe / menesu) place in Tokyo, I drew up a list of a few shops. To be honest, the reason I settled on Mens Este Gotanda @ Kanojo wa Esthetician was that the phone handling was the most courteous.
The 70-minute course, ¥17,000. Gotanda area. Open 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., and they took a same-day booking.
On the facilities and setting
In an esthetic / aroma experience, the quality of the facilities is not a factor you can ignore. Especially in the format where the therapist comes to you, the state of the room directly shapes the whole experience.
The hotel Mens Este Gotanda @ Kanojo wa Esthetician sent me to tonight was within walking distance of Gotanda. The exterior had a vibe somewhere between a love hotel and a business hotel, with a sign that doesn't stand out. It's a hard spot to find if you don't know the street, but I take that as "consideration for the user." A place that doesn't need to stand out is best off not standing out.
The check-in desk was automated. A setup with little human contact is welcome for this kind of visit. The room was on the larger side for a single, and the bed size was no problem. The climate control worked and the temperature was easy to adjust.
The bathroom was clean. Fresh towels, the amenities all there. A hotel that has these obvious things in place is, in fact, rarer than you'd think. There's a clear difference in cleanliness, and it carries straight into the quality of the experience. If the room is in good shape, you can focus on your time with the therapist. The other way around, if the room is bugging you, you can't focus no matter how good the therapist is.
When the facilities are in order, you can focus on your time with the therapist. On that score, Mens Este Gotanda @ Kanojo wa Esthetician had no issues. Once the therapist arrived, her movements were smooth too — she worked having already mapped the room's flow. That's how someone used to hotel layouts moves. ¥17,000 for 70 minutes; including the setting, it was a choice I felt good about.
Impression of the reception
Phone handling is a shop's "face." The reception at Mens Este Gotanda @ Kanojo wa Esthetician met nearly all the checkpoints I use to judge a "good shop."
First, how they answer questions. A desk that doesn't just end at "we have 60 and 90 minutes" when you ask "what length courses do you have?" is a courteous one. Here they added the price breakdown and even the current roster status.
When I told them the type I was after, they proposed two of the girls working today. The "hand you options" format gives the customer the initiative, and I liked that.
The 70 minutes with my therapist
The therapist who came matched the phone description almost exactly. Anyone with years of experience knows how hard it is to actually get "the person who shows up is the person described."
Across the 70 minutes, the balance between talking and going quiet was natural. When the conversation lapsed, it didn't get awkward — that comes down to how good she is at "managing the pauses."
Price and overall verdict
¥17,000 for 70 minutes. As a price point for esthetic / aroma in the Tokyo area, it felt fair. Not excessively high, not so cheap that quality drops — right at that sweet spot.
Bottom line
| Item | Rating |
|---|---|
| Phone reception | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Arrival speed | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Therapist's first impression | ★★☆☆☆ |
| The session itself | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Value for money | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Repeat intent | Depends |
If you're hunting for a men's esthetic in Tokyo, Mens Este Gotanda @ Kanojo wa Esthetician is a safe bet that won't miss.
Related info: I round up Tokyo-area adult-entertainment info on the area page. And if you're researching advertising and customer acquisition for adult shops, FAP — Comparing Men's Esthetic Advertising Channels is also worth a look.