Ah, yes... I do suggest a light pair of earplugs if the noise within parlors is bothersome.

I stand by my choice of words though. ^^ Whether through time or just nature, I did not find parlors irritating.

As for the smoke, I'm quite sensitive to such things being a non-smoker, but found that in 2006 in Tokyo, most parlors were acceptable or better. Many seemed to benefit from high ceilings and good ventilation so that it was only bothersome if someone was next to, across from, or one over from you.