Like New Yorkers, people in Japan spend a good part of their lives commuting to and from work. You ride your bicycle to the train station, stuff yourself into an express train, transfer, stuff yourself into a local train, hop on a bus, then walk a mile to work. In an effort to make use of their commuting time, some Japanese perform their grooming rituals en route. I’ve seen girls get on the train still crusty-eyed, and half and hour later, get off in full hair and makeup. I’ve seen men on the train intently trimming their nose hair and women nonchalantly applying deodorant to their underarms. Granted, these are extreme examples, but as it becomes more socially acceptable to preen in public, pretty soon you’ll see toenail-clipping, zit-popping, bikini-waxing commuters sitting next to you on the way to work.

One grooming ritual that probably won’t make it to the subway is shaving with an old-fashioned shaving brush. There’s something so cool and sexy about men lathering up with an elegant shaving brush, swirling the creamy foam onto their stubbly cheeks, then languidly shaving their chiseled faces until it’s smooth and soft. The whole ritual surpasses mere grooming and elevates it to a few sublime minutes of pampering. If you want to throw away your dad’s old electric shaver and try something classy, the Sou Facial Soap Whipping Brush from Sato-Shoji Corp. is a sophisticated choice. Made with three types of hair, it creates a fine shaving foam while the bristles remain soft and elastic. The Sou brand was inspired by the elegant ritual of the tea ceremony, where the simple process of making tea is elevated to an artform. Likewise, the daily ritual of shaving, when using this superior shaving brush, can be a wonderfully relaxing experience…and you can save your old electric for when you’re running late on the subway.