Western and Japanese Shibari

Shibari has different styles. However, there are two main categories: Japanese Shibari and Western Shibari. Each category has different categories that identify them. Although they both involve tying someone, In order to distinguish Western Shibari from Japanese Shibari, there is a particular characteristic in which they differ. In Western Shibari, a person is tied so that other things can be done to them. On the other hand, in Japanese Shibari the tying is the main focus of the scene.

Japanese Shibari is the original Shibari since it all started with a type of torture of Japanese influence. This kind of torture is hojojutsu, a technique to torture and restrain for criminals in Japan. Shibari was born transforming hojojustsu in art and evolved into an erotic and sensual practice. Different styles of Shibari emerged by combining different characteristics of bondage.
Japanese Shibari focuses on the beauty and symbolism of the bound form and the sadomasochistic pleasures of the experience of the rope. It typically uses natural fibre ropes of 5 to 6 millimetres of diameter, most commonly jute or hemp. Japanese Shibari is more visual, and the aesthetics of the rope in the body, where the journey of tying and binding is the main focus.

Western Shibari, commonly known as bondage, is about tying people, about restraint. In Western Shibari, the only purpose is to tie someone and restrain the movement in order to do other sexual activities to the one in restraint, and it is not that good looking as Japanese Shibari, since they don’t focus in the aesthetics. Western Shibari is a lot faster, since it is just a way of restraint, where ropes might seem messy. And you can use synthetic ropes, like nylon, or sometimes cotton.

Both Western and Japanese Shibari bind and restrain, but the preference is personal.

Image: Madkruben

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