Recent History of Bondage
The recent history of bondage begins with the postwar reconstruction of Japan. This brought a new wave of interest in its culture. The American soldiers of the occupation brought many things with them when they came back home to the US. It is common knowledge that these included food, chopstick, martial arts, and geishas. However, it is also true that they became acquainted with photography and art dealing with bondage. Actually, magazines which included Shibari and Kinbaku, such as Kitan Club, were available for the foreigners. And, in many cases, provided them with their first contact with these alternative practices.
In the 60s Kinbaku drama gained a reputation as both an artistic form and an intense, sexy entertainment. Nevertheless, it was until the development of pink cinema in the 70s, when Kinbaku and Shibari became widely known in the West. These movies, of course, had no mainstream distribution. However, in one way or another, they made their way to the screen and gained a following. Moreover, when videocassette recorders became available in the late 70s and all through the 80s, more and more people could see pink cinema and decide whether they liked this new aesthetic and sensual option.
In the 80s and 90s bondage photography became a genre on its own. This increased the interest and practice of Shibari and Kinbaku. That’s why there any many examples available from this period.
In the first two decades of the 21st century, as sexuality became more open and diverse, BDSM practices became no longer a thing of small, hermetic communities. Kinbaku and Shibari came closer to the mainstream than before. Nowadays, it’s not unusual that even conventional couples introduce bondage elements to their intimate relationships, or that they participate in complete scenes from time to time.
This is, in a nutshell, the recent history of bondage. Today, there is a wide variety of resources available for anyone interested in Shibari and Kinbaku.
