The Ritual Suicide
Another intriguing source for the Japanese bondage origin and history are ancient Japanese police records. In the 17th century at least one traditional bondage was used by doomed love couples in ritualistic suicides. “Forbidden lovers” (usually lovers from different social classes) would sometimes use the “shinju” (a torso harness) bondage to tie each other and next – firmly connected together – plunge into a river, a lake or the sea to drown together. For quite some time such ritual suicides were known as the “shinju suicides”.

This is what Washington State University notes about “shinju suicides”: “the most popular theme of both kabuki and joruri (forms of theater – ed.) was the theme of double suicide, shinju, as thwarted lovers, unable because of social restrictions to live a life together, desperately chose to kill themselves in a mutual suicide hoping to be reunited in the pure land of bliss promised by Amida Buddha. Many of these double suicide plays involved ukiyo themes, such as the love between an upper class or noble man and a prostitute. This is the theme of the most famous of the shinju plays (Sonezaki Shinju), by Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725). Such shinju plays often inspired a rash of real double suicides, so the Tokugawa regime in 1723 stepped in and banned shinju not only on the kabuki and joruri stage, but in real life as well.”

In Japanese psychology the word “shinju” (meaning either “pearl” or “oneness of hearts” depending on its context) is still used for multiple suicides involving people with a strong bond.

In Japanese bondage terms “shinju” is a torso harness, tied to bring out and erotically stimulate the female breasts (the “pearls”). Amazingly the word “shinju” in Japan is also used for shoulder-string type halter tops for women.

Is there any sort of heritage?
The answer to that question is currently impossible to provide with any certainty. It might be, but due to the lack of any historical reference it is unlikely. Yes, there are references to the art dating back to the 17th century. That however is also where any attempt to trace it back any further stops. As an erotic art form it apparently existed in the very mandarin upper classes in Japan. But it has no, as many claim, linear roots to any martial art.

In fact the following assumption is much more likely. Most ancient cultures have seen combinations of power, sometimes spirituality and mysticism, and eroticism. Courtley Love and much earlier Celtic and Saxon rituals in Europe and the Kama Sutra are only a few examples of this. And yes, in most of such rituals weapons and warrior culture were woven into the rituals of courtship, lovemaking and sexuality. Power eroticizes! It always has. There is no reason to assume it was any different in Japan.

Shibari Today
Contemporary “Japanese bondage” pictures usually have an entirely different background which – unfortunately – is pornography. Most originate from 1950-1980 produced Japanese pornographic videos. Their only “raison d’etre” can be found in the fact that the combination of naked women and rope sells. These Japanese movies can be seen as the Japanese answer to the emerging popularity of bondage in the American pornographic industry since the 1930′s (John Willie, Betty Page and others).

The vast majority of Japanese rope artists from this period actually made their money rigging the bondages for these movies and some still do. Some, such as the late Osada Eikichi (a.k.a. “mister flying ropes”) and Denki Akechi, created their own style and performing acts.

The above article is a reprint from our information/educational site Kink Culture.
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