河原町söpöca-lon (ソポカロン) — Local services in Kyoto

I have gotten a manicure here twice now (once in June 2024 and once May 2025) and had great experiences both times. I do not speak any Japanese, and the nail tech did not speak any English, but we got by just fine using google translate. I made my appt online via hotpepperbeauty, but I see now from other reviews that you can also book via Instagram DM! They have a few different courses to choose from of varying pricing. I think both times I booked I chose the middle option for ¥5500 and then when I looked at the designs, I ended up choosing the ¥5000 option. You are able to choose from various preset options and I believe they update them seasonally. You can also request small changes, such as changes in color. I did this both times I got my nails done, where I chose a specific set but requested it be made pink. Also the base price is based on regular gel, but they offer the option to upgrade to a nice kind that is supposed to last longer for an extra ¥400-600 I believe. They trim cuticles and shape your nails based on your preference, but I was a bit surprised that they never had me wash my hands at any point and they did not do any kind of soaking/wet cuticle remover. The artists’ attention to detail is unmatched, they checked each nail meticulously and made sure that the left and right sides matched in length. They also check each nail with each layer of gel to make sure the overall shape looks good. Overall I’ve been super pleased with my services here and would definitely recommend and return! P.S. my set I got done in 2024 literally...

Wonderful experience! I don’t speak any Japanese, but my nail tech was wonderful and was able to guide me and give me the most beautiful manicure ever! She did it all in less than an hour and a half! Seriously much better service than I have ever received in the states! Highly recommend!

Side bar, I actually went to the wrong salon TWICE! Google maps isn’t crazy helpful to a foreigner 😭 I went to a completely different salon first and then to a different Sopoca-Lon that is a mile or two from this one. The ladies at the other Sopoca were so kind and helped me figure out where I was and get my bearings. They even called the correct Sopoca and explained how I got lost and missed my initial appointment. They booked me another appointment and gave me the right address! The best service and help ever!

I highly recommend this salon and any of the other locations. They are great nail techs and very...

Booked via IG, availability and photos of work on hot pepper beauty. Easy to find. They have pre-set designs you can choose from in 3 tiers based on level of design on their IG or website. I choose one of C tier designs. Mano did my nails beautifully, we communicated super seamlessly through Google translate on any color changes or shape etc. literally they said appt was 1 hour, I was walking out, paid and...