10 Best Tried and True Japanese Hair Conditioners in 2023 (Hair Diagnostician-Reviewed)

Angfa's SCALP D Conditioner is made based on the concept of washing your scalp. There are many ingredients in this conditioner that help improve the health of your scalp and your hair - which is why it got a full score in our ingredients test.

As a conditioner that's basically made for your scalp, it's no surprise that there are no silicone and cationic ingredients. This means that you can scrub your scalp with no worries of damaging it. Aside from the scalp care function, there are also moisturizing and damage care ingredients formulated into this conditioner.

In our damage care and feel tests, this product also achieved scores above the average. We did notice a little dryness and flyaways after drying, but the hair came out soft with a beautiful shine, and overall, this conditioner did amazing in our tests.

With a slight herb scent, this conditioner is perfect for those who dislike overly sweet-smelling conditioners. This conditioner also suits any hair type, so we can confidently recommend this conditioner!

The Merit conditioner is a long-selling product that has been on the market for 50 years! This conditioner did not include any moisturizing or damage care ingredients so we were not able to give it a better score in the ingredients test, but it definitely left our hair smooth and tangle-free. 

The hair was soft and smooth after using this, and after 6 hours of drying in low humidity, there were only a few flyaways at the end. The hair bundle overall looked cohesive and there was zero frizz.

A straight line of shine was immediately visible when we tried picking the hair up with the back of the comb, and this gloss was proof of its superb moisturizing ability. The hair was also tangle-free and we would highly recommend this for those with long hair.

With a light scent, this is also a great product for those who don't like conditioners with strong smells. If you are looking for an all-around great conditioner, we would highly recommend this.

Based on olive oil, Milleum comes in a big bottle. The overall finish of our test hair bundle was moist, even after six hours in low humidity, but there were some flyaways. When you lift the hair with a comb, the shine is apparent.

The hair separated easily but the overall finish of our hair bundle was moisturized and smooth, even after six hours in low humidity!

It has a heavy texture due to the silicone in the formula. This would be good for those who want to prevent drying, tangles and frizz. It does contain hydrolyzed collagen, but we wanted a few more moisturizers and hair-repair ingredients.

We were expecting more moisturization and damage care as we found hydrolyzed collagen listed in the ingredients, but this product managed to get a decent score based on its good balance between the silicone and nourishing ingredients.

The Ma Cherie conditioner helps suppress unpleasant scalp and hair odors with its fragrance. We found that stiffness and dryness in the hair seemed to return after drying for a few hours, but the hair bundle stayed cohesive without flyaways.

The shine and smoothness were adequate. There were many conditioning ingredients so we expected the hair to feel light and smooth after use, we actually found that it had a deeply moisturized feel instead.

Its large number of moisturizing ingredients means it could irritate the scalp if not rinsed well, which dropped the ingredients score a bit. But if you need moisturizing more than damage care, and aren't worried about sensitive scalp issues, it will work well for you.

If you're not one to be concerned about scalp irritation, and if you happen to be looking for a conditioner that leaves highly damaged hair moist and tangle-free, then this may be the conditioner for you.

Kracie's Himawari Conditioner is widely available and doesn't have any standout qualities, but it's above the average in all areas, too. It provides a gentle luster and smoothness.

It softens stiff hair, but in low humidity, hair can get dried out. There are few moisturizers and repairing ingredients, but the formula is volumizing. This conditioner helped us give a soft and glossy finish to tangle-free hair, so if you're not worried about moisture loss, it's a balanced and reliable option.

This ranked slightly above average in our ingredient test. With "Volume and Repair" in its name, the ingredients delivered as promised, but due to the little amount of moisturizing ingredients in the formula, we were unable to give it a high score.

Minon's Medicated Conditioner is formulated for sensitive and dry skin. With multiple moisturizing ingredients, we found that the hair was smooth and lustrous after use. This conditioner made our hair both visually and physically shiny and soft, leaving it exceptionally tangle-free.

This worked well in keeping the hair fluffy and voluminous, so we would recommend this to those with thinning, flat, or fine hair.

This ranked above average in our ingredient test and there were no particular problems with it, but there were some ingredients that we were a bit unsure of regarding irritation to the scalp, so we would recommend using this only on the hair.

Oshima Tsubaki's Premium Conditioner features camellia oil and three other ingredients derived from the camellia tree. There was no problem with its finish and its ingredients, but the detangling was not the best.

Our hair bundles were well moisturized even after 6 hours, so we would expect a long-lasting moisturizing effect. The score was not the highest as the hair ends became slightly dry afterward, but it was overall very moisturizing and long-lasting.

Because of the camellia-based ingredients, this got a relatively high score in our ingredients test. This conditioner is also great for post-color care as citric acid is blended into the formula, so if you're looking for a conditioner that helps with color retention, this might be worth checking out.

Muji's Aging Care Conditioner offers long-lasting moisturization and creates soft and smooth hair. The hair ends only dried out slightly, but it didn't do so well in our finger test. You'll also need to have your own refillable container to pour it into. 

With a silky soft luster, we had no complaints about the finish. We also gave this conditioner full marks for it's ingredients as we found absolutely no problems with it. With moisturizing and damage care ingredients, this conditioner was almost as good as a hair treatment.

The only unfortunate thing was that the hair didn't detangle very well. Even with conditioning ingredients blended in, this result brought down its score to below average in the feel test.

Kao's Segreta focuses on volumizing thinning hair.

This product kept our hair bundle looking great, like a new calligraphy brush. The hairs had a glossy feel and smooth appearance, although there was a tiny bit of frizzle toward the tips.

The main ingredients of silicone and conditioners meant it also passed our feel test. But we wanted some more moisturizers and repairing ingredients, and some of those conditioners can be irritating on those with sensitive scalps. Overall, this led to an average score.

Kao's Curel Conditioner is medicated and made for those with a dry, sensitive scalp. Our damaged hair bundle was slightly glossy, moist and smooth after use, but unfortunately, it didn't help control flyaways.

It contains anti-inflammatory ingredients, but also contains ones you don't want to apply directly to the scalp. It was also lacking in moisturizing and nourishing ingredients, which earned it only an average score.