Library

Kitan Club

Original title: 奇譚クラブ

A Japanese magazine published from 1947 to 1975, combining fiction, correspondence, illustration and bondage photography.

Beautifully Bound

Original title: 美しき縛しめ

Also known as Utsukushiki Imashime

The first volume of a Japanese bondage photo-book series, published in July 1953.

Fifteen Ways To Tie a Woman's Body

Original title: 女體の縛り方十五種

Also known as Nyotai no Shibarikata Jūgo-shu

An illustrated essay by Ito Seiu in the September 1953 issue of Fuzoku soshi, discussing forms of restraint through historical claims, personal experiments and aesthetic observations.

From a Torn Diary

Original title: 破った日記帳より

Also known as From a Torn Journal

A first-person diary-style text credited to Kawabata Tanako in the July 1953 issue of Kitan Club.

Uramado

Original title: 裏窓

A Japanese magazine published by Kubo Shoten from 1956 to 1965, with fiction and illustrations as well as rope imagery.

Flower and Snake

Original title: 花と蛇

Also known as Hana to Hebi

Dan Oniroku's novel began in Kitan Club in 1962 under the name Hanamaki Kyotaro.

Suspense Magazine

Original title: サスペンス・マガジン

The successor to Uramado, published by Kubo Shoten in 1965–1969 and again in 1972–1980.

Shogun's Joy of Torture

Original title: 徳川女刑罰史

Also known as History of Tokugawa Female Punishment

Teruo Ishii's 1968 historical anthology centres on opposing attitudes toward punishment, presented through three dramatic stories.

Blind Beast

Original title: 盲獣

Also known as Moju

An artist's model is abducted by a blind sculptor who wants her as the subject of his work.

Inferno of Torture

Original title: 徳川いれずみ師 責め地獄

Also known as Tokugawa Irezumi-shi: Seme Jigoku

Ishii Teruo's 1969 Toei period film combines tattooing, tying and staged punishment within the studio's late-1960s exploitation cycle.

Orgies of Edo

Original title: 残酷異常虐待物語 元禄女系図

Also known as Zankoku Ijo Gyakutai Monogatari: Genroku Onna Keizu

Ishii Teruo's 1969 Toei anthology places three fictional stories of power and punishment in the Genroku period.

SM Select

Original title: SMセレクト

A Japanese monthly SM magazine from Tokyo Sanseisha, launched in November 1970 and continuing into 1990.

SM Fan

Original title: SMファン

A long-running Japanese specialist magazine documented through library and surviving-issue records.

SM Play - You Can Play S&M

Urado Hiroshi's 1972 photographic guide to SM and rope play, published by Haga Shoten as a blue hardback in a printed slipcase.

School of the Holy Beast

Original title: 聖獣学園

Also known as Seiju Gakuen

Norifumi Suzuki's convent melodrama follows a woman investigating her mother's death, combining a mystery plot with religious authority, repression and stylized punishment.

Fairy in a Cage

Original title: 檻の中の妖精

Also known as Ori no Naka no Yosei

Ohara Koyu's 1977 Nikkatsu film adapts a work by Dan Oniroku and stars Tani Naomi.

Noble Lady: Bound Vase

Original title: 原作・団鬼六「黒い鬼火」より 貴婦人縛り壷

Also known as Kifujin Shibari Tsubo · 貴婦人縛り壺

Konuma Masaru's Nikkatsu adaptation of Dan Oniroku's Kuroi Onibi stars Tani Naomi.

S&M Sniper

Original title: S&Mスナイパー

A major Japanese SM magazine with a thirty-year original run and a documented print revival in 2016.

Slave Contract

Original title: 奴隷契約書

Konuma Masaru's adaptation of a work by Urado Hiroshi stars Matsukawa Nami in her screen debut.

Nun in Rope Hell

Original title: 団鬼六 修道女縄地獄

Also known as Dan Oniroku: Shudojo Nawa Jigoku · Convent Rope Hell

Fujii Katsuhiko's 1984 Nikkatsu adaptation of Dan Oniroku stars Takakura Miki and Ogawa Asami.

Pain Is…

Stephen Dwoskin's essay documentary combines interviews, archival material and voice-over to examine different experiences of pain.

Ropemarks

Original title: 残縄画報

Also known as Zan Nawa Gahō

A 1998 photographic book by Dirty Kudo with photography by Shito Jin, focusing on the traces rope leaves on the body.

I Am an S+M Writer

Original title: 不貞の季節

Also known as Futei no Kisetsu

Hiroki Ryuichi's adaptation of a Dan Oniroku story follows a fictional S&M writer and his domestic life.

The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage

Midori's illustrated English-language introduction to Japanese rope bondage, with photography by Craig Morey.

Rope Joy

Original title: 縄悦

Also known as Nawa Etsu

A video series documenting Naka Akira's rope work through films directed by Muryu ZOU.

People of Kitan Club

Original title: 「奇譚クラブ」の人々

Also known as Kitan Kurabu no Hitobito

Kitahara Domu and Saotome Hiromi revisit Kitan Club through testimony from people connected to the magazine, photographs and illustrations.

Flower and Snake

Original title: 花と蛇

Also known as Hana to Hebi

Ishii Takashi's 2004 adaptation of Dan Oniroku's novel stars Sugimoto Aya and includes Arisue Go in its cast.

Shibari: The Art of Japanese Bondage

Master K's English-language introduction combines historical framing with an account of Japanese rope aesthetics.

The Artists of Kitan Club

Atlas translation

Original title: 「奇譚クラブ」の絵師たち

Also known as Kitan Kurabu no Eshitachi

Chimuo Nureki's account of Kitan Club centers on its illustrators, including Kita Reiko, and the overlapping work of drawing, editing and writing for the magazine.

Graydancer's Ropecast

Graydancer's podcast combines interviews, discussions and recordings from rope-community events.

Two Knotty Boys: Showing You the Ropes

Dan and JD's first illustrated rope-bondage manual, photographed by Larry Utley, grew out of the practical workshops they began teaching in San Francisco.

Akechi

Yoshiki Saitoh's photographic portrait of Akechi Denki's rope work was published after Akechi's death, with an introduction by photography critic Kotaro Iizawa.

Bakushi

Original title: 縛師

Hiroki Ryuichi's documentary follows the work of Nureki Chimuo, Yukimura Haruki and Arisue Go.

Lovely Andrea

Hito Steyerl's film traces a search for a bondage photograph across Tokyo's image industries and rope networks.

SM Handbook

Original title: 完全総括SM手引き書

Also known as Kanzen Sōkatsu SM Tebikisho

Takeshi Nagaike's broader SM handbook combines discussion of relationships and psychology with chapters on rope, other practices and readers' practical questions.

Akai Hana: Haruki Yukimura Sessions

Yasuji Watanabe's photographic book documents four sessions with Yukimura Haruki and preserves their distinct working atmosphere.

Kinbakushi A's Ecstasy and Gloom

Original title: 緊縛師A 恍惚と憂鬱の日々

Go Arisue's collection of short fiction follows the desires and predicaments of people around a rope practitioner, using a comic approach to sexuality and everyday human weakness.

The Beauty of Kinbaku

An English-language study of kinbaku history, practice and visual culture by Master K.

Aiko

Original title: 愛子

Osada Steve's 160-page photographic book centers on Aiko, drawing largely on live rope sessions at Studio SIX in Tokyo.

Nawapedia

An English-language reference wiki on Japanese bondage and related SM culture, founded on 22 November 2009.

Bondage. La via italiana all'arte di legare. Corde, nodi e legami d'amore: manuale pratico

MaestroBD and Beatrice Gigliuto's Italian-language manual presents rope practice through photographs and explanatory drawings, with sections on materials, history and safety.

Complete Shibari Volume 1: Land

Douglas Kent's illustrated first volume develops a systematic curriculum for rope preparation, safety and floor-based ties.

Complete Shibari Volume 2: Sky

The second volume of Douglas Kent's illustrated series builds on Land to address suspension equipment, mechanical principles and the construction of aerial rope scenes.

How to Get Tied Up

Evie Vane's video series approaches rope from the receiving partner's perspective.

Kinbaku: The Art of Bondage

Also known as Kinbaku / Kinbaku: The Art of Bondage

Jouni Hokkanen's short documentary presents Japanese rope through an ensemble of notable practitioners.

The King of Pleasure

Atlas translation

Original title: 悦楽王

Also known as Etsurakuō

Dan Oniroku's autobiographical novel revisits the eccentric working world around his SM King magazine and Oni Productions in the 1970s.

Jyowa

Original title: 縄話

Also known as JYOWA "Rope Stories" · Jyowa “Rope Series”

Pedro Cordas's five-chapter documentary records sessions and conversations with Japanese rope practitioners.

The Rope Bottom Guide

Clover's guide approaches rope from the person being tied, covering communication, preparation, negotiating limits and awareness of physical and emotional responses.

Araki. Bondage

Original title: 緊縛

Also known as Araki. Kinbaku

The original three-volume collector's edition presents Nobuyoshi Araki's bondage photography across several decades.

Bondage Art with Kinoko Hajime

A 2013 Vice Japan documentary follows Hajime Kinoko's rope art, including work with rocks as well as the human body.

Kinbaku: The Art of Rope Bondage

A photographic survey of rope performance across Japan and several international scenes, combining ten chapters of performers and photographers with historical framing and personal accounts.

Self Bondage: All Tied Up With My Own Rope

Original title: R-18文学賞 vol.1 自縄自縛の私

Takenaka Naoto's 2013 adaptation of Hiruta Asako's prize-winning story follows an office worker who keeps her self-tying practice private.

Sweet Whip

Original title: 甘い鞭

Also known as Amai Muchi

Ishii Takashi's 2013 film adapts fiction by Oishi Kei, stars Dan Mitsu and includes Arisue Go among its actors.

Bondage e Roma. Storie di corde nella Capitale

Davide La Greca's Italian collection of stories about rope aims to confront the fears and preconceptions surrounding shibari.

Deadly Virtues: Love.Honour.Obey.

A home-invasion thriller with rope work supplied by WykD Dave.

Kinbaku Today

An online journal publishing essays, interviews, reviews and translations on Japanese rope culture.

Kink University: Selected Rope-Education Episodes

A screen-education series containing rope episodes with multiple instructors, models and approaches.

The Little Guide to Getting Tied Up

Evie Vane's guide focuses on preparing to be tied, communicating with a partner and recognizing personal limits, rather than teaching knots or finished tying patterns.

Bakushi - On the set of Nikkatsu Roman Porno SM Dramas

Original title: 縛師――日活ロマンポルノ SMドラマの現場

Also known as Bakushi: Nikkatsu Roman Porno SM Dorama no Genba

Urado Hiroshi's account of rope work behind Nikkatsu's Roman Porno SM films, including Flower and Snake and Sacrificial Wife.

More Shibari You Can Use: Passionate Rope Bondage and Intimate Connection

Lee Harrington's illustrated rope manual combines practical exercises with discussion of partner connection and playfulness.

Shibari You Can Use: Japanese Rope Bondage and Erotic Macramé

A practical English-language rope manual credited to Lee Harrington with photographic collaboration by RiggerJay.

The Kinbakunomicon

Faviola Llervu's audio and video essays explore the history and ideas of Japanese SM through fiction, cinema, theatre and other cultural material.

The Pleasure of Rope

Bob Bentley's documentary follows rope practitioners in Japan and Europe through performances and interviews.

Ippon nawa. One rope. A shibari project by MBDstudio

A short MBDstudio photobook exploring the expressive possibilities of one rope.

Planète Kinbaku

Nathanaël Friloux and Pascal Grisoni's documentary traces kinbaku's Japanese history and its movement into European practice.

The Peony's Whisper

Original title: 牡丹の囁き

Vincent Guilbert's feature-length documentary builds a portrait of Naka Akira through memory, images, speech, places and bodies.

Archaeology of Personalities: A Linguistic Approach to Erotic Rope Bondage

Georg Barkas examines erotic rope bondage through theories of communication and power, developing the metaphor of an interview as a way to understand the interaction between participants.

Better Bondage for Every Body

Also known as Better Bondage for Every Body: With Rope Bondage Experts From Around the World

Evie Vane's guide centers the experience of being tied, with attention to anatomy, communication, adaptation and risk.

Bondage. Manuale pratico per iniziare

Davide La Greca's illustrated introduction combines rope instruction with chapters on history, ethics and different approaches to shibari.

Rope Bondage The Smart Way

Pete Riggs combines illustrated rope instruction with case studies and chapters on communication, preparation and scene planning.

Rope Podcast

Fox Cordee and Mya's podcast combines interviews with conversations about the motivations, relationships and values behind rope practice.

Kinbaku Studies: A personal journey into Semenawa

Riccardo Wildties' photographic study of kinbaku and semenawa records his understanding of the practice five years after meeting his teacher Naka Akira.

Perfect Red

Hajime Kinoko's 212-page photobook gathers the principal works of his Red series, combining images from the earlier Red volume with subsequent work.

Shibari

Robin Entreinger's French short follows a journalist visiting Tokyo to write about shibari and her encounter with a rope model.

Spellbound

Ulrike Kaffei's nine-minute documentary follows performers Gestalta Judd and Marika Leila Roux exploring connection through shibari.

The Artist and the Pervert

A documentary portrait of composer Georg Friedrich Haas and kink educator Mollena Williams-Haas, connecting their relationship with music, race and self-determination.

Lo spazio delle corde

Caterina Ferrari's documentary follows Cindy, Coldeyes, Ilaria and Andrea LaquartaCorda as they describe the place of rope in their lives.

Rope Bondage and Affective Embodiments: A Rhizomatic Analysis

A peer-reviewed study of affect, embodiment and rope practice drawing on fieldwork in Hong Kong, London, Paris and Berlin.

Shibari Suspensions: A Step by Step Guide

Gestalta's 172-page reference manual presents suspension foundations, body mechanics, harnesses, line management and safety from both tying partners' perspectives.

The Kinbaku Society of Berlin Magazine

An artist-led magazine combining photography, poetry, fiction, essays, drawings and interviews about Japanese rope culture and its reception in Europe.

Tying & Flying: Bondage for Self-Suspension

Shay Tiziano's guide addresses self-suspension technique alongside equipment, spotting and risk assessment.

PURE PROJECT - Kink Documentary

A documentary project founded in 2020 by Swen Brandy, Peppermind and Sebastian Salvor to portray people in BDSM and fetish communities.

Rope Ramblings

Six conversations recorded by Asiana and Door between 2020 and 2022 about their rope partnership, emotions and aesthetic preferences.

Rope Revelations

A BBC-commissioned short documentary about Andy Buru's rope practice, filmed and edited by Ana González and Frederick Bernas.

Somatics for Rope Bottoms

A rope-bottoming text focused on body awareness, self-knowledge and somatic approaches to partnered rope.

Taking Flight

A short movement film created by Burgundy Rose, Anna Noctuelle and filmmaker Yiannis Katsaris around rope and physical theatre.

Bound

Jean-Armand Bougrelle's documentary follows women practicing kinbaku in contemporary Japan.

LUCÍA

A ten-minute dance film by Cía.

My Element Water

Swen Brandy's short documentary follows former competitive swimmer Madame A through a staged water-based performance and an interview about the experience.

Roca Magazine

A Japanese magazine combining contemporary rope photography, essays and reports on kinbaku culture.

(UN) sicher gebunden – Bindungswunden und Entwicklungskrisen

A short film combining Marielle Gerke's dance and Ann Antidote's shibari, filmed by Dan Farberoff.

Shibari als Passion und Beruf

A 46-minute PURE Kink documentary follows Basel practitioners RopuNawa and Freya Hellesdîm, combining a rope session with reflections on teaching, performance and their relationship.

Torsion Magazine

An independent American print magazine devoted to rope bondage photography, interviews and contemporary practice.

When I Leave This World

Carlos Motta's two-channel installation pairs a performance made with Tiamat Legion Medusa and a separate interview.

Yugen Studio Magazine / Yugen SM

A magazine developed around Yugen Studio in Milan, combining rope photographs with backstage accounts, interviews, stories and illustrations.

Foundations of Rope Bondage

Lazarus Redmayne's photographic introduction to rope fundamentals, combining instruction with discussion of consent, communication and risk.

Kinbaku: The Golden Age of Japanese Restrained & Tortured Artworks

Original title: 緊縛 縛り絵・責め絵の黄金時代

Also known as Kinbaku: Golden Age of Japanese Restrained & Torture

An anthology of nine artists working with Japanese bondage and torture imagery, accompanied by essays on the field.

Las Cuerdas

Kay's Spanish-language podcast discusses personal rope practice, community events and questions from listeners.

Roca #3

Roca's outdoor-kinbaku issue combines photographic features with an interview with Dr.

Rope Radar

Sinrael's negotiation tool helps rope partners describe the emotions and experiences they want from a session.

Shibari Study Podcast

Wicked Wren's interview series for Shibari Study presents conversations with rope practitioners and community organizers.

The Artistry of Bondage by Hajime Kinoko

Pen's short profile presents Hajime Kinoko's rope installations and his understanding of rope as a medium of connection.

Doppelknoten

Thomas Harukumo and Atrim Namor's German-language podcast discusses shibari, Japanese culture and terminology.

KinkTimacy

Nong Nhat Quang's eight-minute documentary follows Cambodian Australian kink educator Gatsby Lim and his experiences of shibari, connection and belonging.

L'Art du Bondage

Alex DirtyVonP and Stéphanie Doe combine illustrated rope exercises with discussion of the psychological and emotional aspects of intimate bondage.

Onawa Asobi - Il Gioco della Corda - Fotografie di Shibari

Photographs and bilingual texts follow Davide La Greca and Meisa's performance at Tokyo's Onawa Asobi festival.

Seiu Ito's Blame Arts

Original title: 伊藤晴雨の世界2 伊藤晴雨 秘蔵画集〜門外不出の責め絵とドローイング

Paintings and preparatory drawings by Ito Seiu, selected from the Fuzoku Shiryokan collection with writing by art critic Toshiki Soma.

Shibari Flow

A collectively produced German–English magazine combining essays, photography and participatory material on rope.

Showa Vol. 1

A retrospective photobook collecting Sugiura Norio's photographs from 1974–1989, with rope work mainly by Nureki Chimuo and a foreword by Marta Tenshiko.

Soaring & Exploring: Self-Suspension for Experienced Tiers and Flyers

Also known as Soaring & Exploring

An anthology for experienced self-tiers, bringing multiple writers' approaches to movement, creativity, emotion and different bodies into dialogue.

FRAG.NOIR

A 2025 film-and-photography project by Renée de Sans, made with collaborating artists Maya Poison and Pixie Sin in Berlin.

Malapropism

Karshni's self-directed music video uses Amiya Bhanushali's shibari alongside distorted images to address consent and the language used to minimize harm.

Model Behaviour

Anna Noctuelle, Natasha NawaTaNeko and Saara Rei discuss rope from the perspectives of models and educators, with episodes on relationships, embodiment, ageing and visual culture.