Cover An artist practising shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
An artist practising shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
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The arts world can be difficult to navigate. But for newbies and those who want to brush up their knowledge, our performing arts series has got you covered. This month, we look at the Japanese rope bondage art called ‘shibari’, or the more erotic version called ‘kinbaku’, which are both growing popular in Asia
At the opening of Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki’s exhibition K11 Musea back in April, the lighting of the hall’s periphery dimmed, drawing the visitors’ attention to the centre of the space, where there was a tripod, slightly taller than a person. Two young women, dressed in kimonos, walked in small steps into the spotlight.
One of them started binding the other with heavy ropes, first her upper body, then her arms, folded at the back, and finally the legs. As the background music picked up pace, the woman tying the rope increased the intensity with which she was tying the knots. Then, she paused and circled her “artwork”, as if to evaluate it, before adding more knots and locks to the binding, and finally tying her model’s feet up so that the subject ended up hanging in mid-air, trussed up and slowly rotating as the rope moved.
Above Two practicioners performing shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
Two practicioners performing shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
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This rather unusual display was a shibari performance by Rika Ng, Hong Kong’s first rope bondage instructor. Shibari means “binding” or “tying” in Japanese. It’s a form of body art that involves tying or restraining a human being with often jute, hemp or linen ropes in visually intricate patterns. Kinbaku, which means “beauty of tight binding” in Japanese, takes a more sensual, emotional and sometimes erotic direction.
Ng learnt this art form in Osaka, Japan, under renowned Japanese shibari master Ranki Kazami. In 2016, she came back to Hong Kong and set up Shibari for All, an organisation that promotes Japanese rope art in a safe and inclusive environment.
Above An artist practising shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
An artist practising shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
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The traditional craft of shibari traces back to the Edo Period in Japan (1603 to 1867), when rope tying was a means of restraining or torturing a captive or prisoner. In the early 1900s, it came to be associated with eroticism.
“Shibari was hugely influenced by ukiyo-e (woodblock prints and paintings) and noh (classical Japanese dance drama),” Ng says. “Some of the ukiyo-e paintings were erotic and depicted women tied up in bonds; in noh, there are stories of female captives being tied up in a prison. Gradually, shibari morphed into Japan’s subculture and [became] a fetish.”
Kinbaku’s popularity also grew after the Second World War, when nightclubs staged bondage performances for those who were looking for “juicy” shows. According to Ng, the appearance of DVDs and the coming of the internet in the 1990s also made kinbaku more widely available.
Most recently, popular movies such as the Taiwanese erotic film The Chronicles of Libidoists starring Wu Kang-ren have depicted scenes where the actors perform kinbaku.
Read more: 7 unmissable shows at Hong Kong Arts Festival 2025: Geisha performance, ‘Carmen’ and more
Above A male artist practising shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
A male artist practising shibari (Photo: courtesy of Rika Ng)
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Today, however, practitioners come from different cultures and interpret the art form in different ways. Some see bondage as a tool for meditation. Some others see it as a study in contradiction, be it soft skin against hard ropes or the push and pull between dominance and submission.
At her classes in Mong Kok, Ng welcomes practitioners of all levels. She encourages all genders to take up the role of the bondage practitioner or model. “I keep an open mind to students who come to my classes with different perspectives of shibari,” Ng says. “Some like shibari because they find it sensuous; some see it as a performance, a commercial show, a serious hobby, a way to get to know your partner or an innovative installation art. It doesn’t always mean there’s intimacy or passion between the person tying the rope and the tied.”
Above A poster of a performance that blends Chinese opera and shibari (Image: courtesy of Rika Ng)
A poster of a performance that blends Chinese opera and shibari (Image: courtesy of Rika Ng)
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But, of course, there are rules and basic standards to abide by. “Safety is first,” Ng says. “Like all types of sports such as aerial yoga, there are controllable risks. Don’t be too ambitious at the beginning. Ask yourself what you want from participating in a session.” She adds that since the 1980s, artists who practice rope bondage abide by safety consensual codes and mottos, such as SSC (Safe, Sane and Consensual) and Rack (Risk Aware Consensual Kink).
Then, on the aesthetics of bondage art, artists look for “structurally complete, visually pleasing patterns and knots that should come with a message or meaning.” Ng compares it to viewing a classical painting: “Some will think the scene is a mountain, some will think it’s just a knot. Sometimes, simpler knots can be more appreciated for their deeper personal meaning. It’s up to the artist to explore.”
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
