Osada Eikichi (Master Shibari Sensei)

The great Osada Eikichi is the godfather of modern Japanese Rope Bondage (or, as we know it here, Shibari). People widely credit him with becoming a pioneer of live SM acts and performances in Japan from the 60s onwards. He spent the last eight months of his life in a home for the elderly. This was due after his collapsed on stage on the 20th of January 2001.

Osada Eikichi: a Genealogy of Nawashi and Bakushi

Osada Eikichi has definitely smoothed to the path for a whole new and younger generation of nawashi (rope master) or bakushi (from kinbakushi, bondage master). Back in the 60s, when he was in his thirties, it took a lot of courage and skill to bring back the world of Kinbahu into the open. And he faught against all odds. If it were not for Osada, nobody could have known where Shibari as we all know it would be today.

His Performances

Sensei Osada’s performances took place in so-called “nude theatres,” like the Tsurumi Shinsekai. He even produced a movie called Orgasm (オルガズム). In addition, he produces shows with the legendary Saotome Hiromi (早乙女宏美), who had starred in SM Nikkatsu films since 1984. A normal show could run as long as 10 days, to then move on to the next theatre. As the name suggests, the principal attractions were trippers. These type of theaters usually featured several strip acts with each performer repeating them several times during the same day.

In the early 80s, Master Osada Eikichi’s carrier drew a daily audience of up to two thousand people. The charging fees were up to 3 thousand USD per day.