What’s In A Word? Exploring The Use Of Japanese Shibari Terminology
A small disclaimer on Japanese language and cultural appropriation in shibari as well as why we use the words we do.
Shibari (縛り), kinbaku (緊縛), ‘Japanese-inspired rope bondage’… Whatever terminology and language we use, the practice of shibari as we understand it has a history, culture and story of its own.
As I sit here, I have just finished creating a large Shibari Glossary of every shibari word I know or could find with hours of research, a mixture of common and rare terminology containing both Japanese and English words. However, I am also conscious that I address a few important points on our choices of language and how this influences our approach to rope.
My original intention with this glossary (available on Shibari Study) was to provide a resource that prevents gatekeeping, combating elements of elitism that can naturally proliferate in any discipline that uses jargon. (I’m also very aware that I am not a Japanese native. I am beginning to study the Japanese language and have for years researched the wider context of Japanese culture adjacent to shibari, but am in no way an expert, so it’s important to me to be held accountable and have the humility to be corrected for any mistakes that may exist.)
History, culture and connectedness
The history of shibari, or indeed any aspect of Japanese culture, is not to be romanticized, fetishized, idolatrized or diminished and contains a diverse and rich development of cultures both within Japan and, due to its export, across the world.
Many people describe the history of shibari as dating back to the Edo period, an ancient art form practiced by only the most highly skilled warriors, built upon secrecy and respect with specific ties denoting rank and privilege, and variations in ties between prefectures necessary to prevent prisoners from knowing how to escape. Although this has some elements of truth, it’s a limited narrative and there is a far more diverse history at play – one which, if you wish to practice shibari, should be acknowledged, accepted and respected.
Yes, rope bondage has a history in military application, but that means it’s also shrouded in death and sacrifice. Wars are fought by the poor but glorified by the rich. When we romanticize the samurai class, we overlook the plight of the common people whose lives were lost, who suffered in the dirt for a romantic but misunderstood narrative. You can read more about this misguided view of the history of shibari, alongside a more authentic perspective from one of the seminal voices in shibari culture, Midori, in her article on The History and Myths of Japanese Bondage. Many of Midori’s thoughts, workshops and interviews on the subject are the reason I have personally spent hours researching this topic and building a deeper understanding and appreciation of its relevance.
What modern Shibari does have is a history in sex, from the 17th-century artists capturing desire and passion in Ukiyo-e and Shunga woodblock prints to the pleasure districts of post-war Japan to mail-order magazines of erotica and pornography, both heavily censored by a government focused on proving its legitimacy in an increasingly westernized world. In the pleasure districts, both extremes of society could come together to explore passion, desire and debauchery away from the stigmas of class and pressures of polite society. By the same token, imbalance, injustice and exploitation were rife. It was against this backdrop that shibari as we know it came to be. Proliferating in the underground sex clubs and SM world by a handful of individuals creating images, film, and content for their own personal gratification, shibari and rope have a rich and deep cultural significance that warrants recognition beyond the sanitized tales that now abound.
Shibari and rope have a rich and deep cultural significance that warrants recognition beyond the sanitized tales that now abound.
By understanding this, we can also recognize that shibari’s history is not without patriarchal male dominance, consent violations, misogyny, ageism, sizeism, racial prejudice and safety issues. These are not things that can or should be ignored.
We often talk about the importance of doing your research, focusing on safety, consent, negotiation, risk awareness, and so forth. But there is a growing need to also look at history, culture, connectedness and inclusivity too. There are many, many people who are working towards this, providing a better understanding of the history and culture of Japanese rope bondage and Japanese-inspired rope bondage.
Appropriation and appreciation
One thing we cannot deny is that if you are not Japanese and you practice this art form, it has been appropriated from another culture. In a globalized world this is somewhat inevitable. As more information becomes available to wider audiences, this naturally percolates through societies and evolves over time. Western rope bondage has its own history and is notably distinct from Japanese-inspired rope bondage, but these two histories coincide, interact and ultimately influence each other. This is evident in the illicit black-market trade in sex magazines between East and West, which continued throughout the ’60s and ’70s – some magazines like Fuzoku soshi would even publish works by the likes of Itō Seiu directly alongside images from American magazines.
From my perspective, the difference between appropriation and appreciation lies in knowledge and respect. By denying or glossing over the darker history of shibari, we inadvertently disrespect its journey to where it is today. By romanticizing it, we view it through a lens of singularity and deny the rich diversity of those individuals who shaped it into the practice we now know… Yes, it’s art. Yes, it’s kink. Yes, it’s connective. Yes, it’s beautiful. Yes, it’s experiential. However, it is not just one of these things but all of them, in as diverse a way as any of us are diverse as human beings – we are composites of our many experiences and histories, not a singular expression.
By denying or glossing over the darker history of shibari, we inadvertently disrespect its journey to where it is today.
As a white, male, (mostly) cisgendered, heterosexual rope top, I stand on every intersection of privilege possible. It’s important to point this out to you, my dear reader, and highlight that although I am aware of the struggles many face through the intersections of discrimination, I can never truly know or claim to know that, only work to be conscious of it. In turn, I ask that you do the same. While I may not have directly chosen these things, I do benefit from them and it’s my responsibility to be aware of this, and to advocate for everyone else to do the same. Educate yourselves and remain open-minded, -hearted and accepting of others around us. As I write here, I’m lucky to be part of a team of diverse individuals across the race, gender and sexuality spectrum whom I hope hold me, and each other, accountable.
Language and lexicon
That said, I often use words not native to my language in describing rope. Likewise, many of the patterns I use in rope I default to describing using the Japanese terminology, such as futomomo, gote, and ebi. These describe the position of the body rather than the pattern and have been readily absorbed into my lexicon as they often more effectively describe the rope and body positioning than attempting to translate it.
In many instances, this shared language of borrowed words is understood by those with shibari experience and is a more effective method of communication – think ‘futomomo’ as opposed to ‘that tie with your leg bent that wraps around the thigh and calf’. Where necessary, I will aim to give both Japanese and my native English language descriptors, such as ‘box tie, also known as TK or gote’, if such exists that I am aware of.
As shibari is in no way a regulated form, there’s no official ‘approved’ terminology. As a student of this craft, I am always learning and aim not to offend anyone through my use of language or description. If I’ve got something wrong anywhere, please reach out to let me know and assist in my learning journey. Being accountable is part of my journey and a channel by which people can help me build my knowledge. I am no expert but after years of interest, study and practice, I am more confident about discussing my opinions publicly, aware that they remain just that: opinions. I am fallible but hope to retain the humility and awareness of self to be both wrong and corrected.
As shibari is in no way a regulated form, there’s no official ‘approved’ terminology.
I don’t, however, subscribe to the idea of elitist gatekeeping of a culture or language but rather advocate that they should be respected and appreciated in their multidimensional and varied ways. For this reason, I have worked very hard to bring together our Shibari Glossary, to take away a barrier to learning for people who may be hearing words for the first time and are too shy to ask what they mean. It’s also the culmination of hours of reading, research and building a greater understanding of the culture around which the art form I love has grown, and I hope this can help others to better understand it too.
