After my recent research, there are four terms used to describe Rope Bondage, which is Kinbaku, Shibari, Hojojutsu, and Fusion. In the East, people use Shibari and Kinbaku, and the origin of these two names is Hojojutsu. In the West, people use Fusion to describe rope bondage. Rope Bondage is named under different disciplines. And is classified into two parts east/west with factors such as source, development process, and historical factors.
IN THE EAST
One of the most common controversies in the world of Japanese bondage is Shibari Vs Kinbaku. In Japanese culture, these two words do have different meanings.
Kinbaku and Shibari are Japanese terms and have numerous translations and interpretations of meanings surrounding the terms of kinbaku or shibari. In the Japanese dictionary, Kinbaku means “to bind tightly”. It describes a practice where the connection between the rope artist and the bottom is important. On the other hand, Shibari means ” to tie”, and it can refer not only to people, but also to things.
Hojojutsu is symbolic of the prisoner and their punishment. This is a martial art that was used as a way to restrain, transport, and even torture slaves.
Kinbaku, as well as Shibari, is a sexualized extension of Hojojutsu. But in the Western world, these words are synonyms, their differences lost in translation.
IN THE WEST
EARLY HOLLYWOOD & WORLD WAR 2 The early days of Hollywood is one of the first places we can see the use of bondage and eroticism entertwined in the West. It is considered most likely that kinbaku was brought to the West through the cross-pollination of cultures that occurred during World War 2.
‘Fusion’ is a term typically applied to western style rope that has borrowed aspects from traditional Japanese kinbaku. The most distinguishing factor of western rope is that it does not have limitations. Usually, kinbaku particularly focuses on the use of natural fibres, as opposed to kinbaku, Fusion more commonly uses synthetic and colored ropes.
Going forward I will refer to both kinbaku and shibari in a more general term, ‘rope bondage’. Using this term will allow my research to remain neutral as there has been a history of conflict regarding the correct term.
https://www.demasquemagazine.com/post/a-brief-history-of-rope-bondage-in-the-east-and-west
https://shibarinews.com/about-shibari/glossary/shibari-vs-kinbaku