Why are barber shops / beauty salons considered by some to be essential businesses that should remain open?

I looked at it a bit—not exhaustively—and below are some possible reasons:

First, barbers 理容師 and beauticians 美容師 are nationally licensed professions.
1/

The professions became nationally certified/licensed and regulated cartels just after WWII. The businesses had gotten saturated with competition, and sanitary conditions of barbershops/hair salons were bad. They were considered to play an important role in public health.
2/

At the time, public sanitation in Japan was not as good as it is today. Tuberculosis was rampant—Japan’s leading cause of death in the 40s and 50s (and even a problem now)—and other infections from bad mgmt of razors, towels, etc had deadly impact.
http://www.ipss.go.jp/syoushika/tohkei/Data/Popular2007/T05-24.html
3/

So the industry was certainly somewhat rooted in public health.

Barber law set education / testing required for a license, and sanitary conditions / permits for barbershops
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/kenkou/seikatsu-eisei04/05.html

Similar law for beauticians / beauty salons
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/kenkou/seikatsu-eisei04/06.html
4/

They’re both required to operate in a place of business that meets certain conditions for sanitation, etc., and in principle they’re only allowed to visit customers if the customers have difficulty due to illness, or if it’s an event such as a wedding, etc.
5/

In recent years there’s been crossover: Barbershops couldn’t do perms before, but now they can as part of a cut. Beauty salons can now shave customers’ faces.

This is all to say the business was highly regulated and rooted in public health and sanitation, and w/cartel status.
6/

It’s worth noting that the education and testing that barbers and beauticians are required to receive covers quite a bit about skin and scalp health, and involves a lot of training and proficiency in sanitary / disinfection practices.
7/

So I can see the industry argument that the scalp and skin health services that the professions provide is a step above other service trades in necessity and public benefit, and that they are certified and trained in sanitation.
8/

And one can also imagine that the haircutting trades, having long ago secured and maintained national status that prevents excess competition and allows price-setting, and still having influential industry groups, might flex political muscle when considered to be shut down.
9/

So that’s why I think barbershops / beauty salons are being discussed in a way that might confuse some people.

-They have national certification
-They have legal roots in public health
-They’re trained in sanitary practices
-They have political strong industry associations
10/

I’m too lazy to translate/annotate, but here are some things I read looking into this:
Barbers:
https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%86%E7%BE%8E%E5%AE%B9%E5%B8%AB
Beauticians:
https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%BE%8E%E5%AE%B9%E5%B8%AB
Also their respective laws, in 4/ above.
And this, among other news articles about the debate:
https://business.nikkei.com/atcl/gen/19/00002/040801165/
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