I am delighted to post this lovely piece that Master “K” wrote for me. I am so honoured that he took the time to write it for me. Here is a real pre-Christmas treat for you.
Master K’s trip to Japan for the launch of the Japanese edition of “The Beauty of Kinbaku.”
Sometimes a trip becomes a dream of a dream. By this I mean that sometimes something exceeds your wildest expectations and becomes a transcendent experience; and so it was with what had been planned to be a modest trip to Tokyo in October 2013.The reason for the trip was a request by the publisher Suirensha to assist “as much as possible” with the launch of the Japanese edition of my book, “The Beauty of Kinbaku.”
Cover of the Japanese edition of “The Beauty of Kinbaku.”
It was a great honor that the book was to be published by this distinguished academic publisher who valued it for its scholarship. However, I wasn’t expecting too much in terms of publicity as I planned my trip around the dates of the book launch. I couldn’t have been more mistaken.After arriving in Japan and checking into my favorite hotel (The Okura), my friend and student Zetsu and I set about preparing for the photographic exhibit.
The hotel Okura lobby.The first step was to help prepare the gallery for the book launch and cocktail party festivities. To our great delight the gallery had offered us a two-week exhibition of the 35 photographs that were originally intended only as decoration. The exhibit was held at a lovely, Greenwich Village style gallery in Shinjuku called Shinjuku-za. A lot of hard work went into getting the pictures up in time for the opening night party.
The Shinjuku-za Gallery in Tokyo.
The photography show.
On the evening of the book launch we were stunned by the large crowd that attended. Many of these people were luminaries in the Japanese world of BDSM and Kinbaku. These included: the world famous artist Sorayama, the photographer Sugiura and the rope masters: Akira Naka, Arisue Go, Kanna, Kazami Ranki, and the dean of movie Riggers, the brilliant Urado Hiroshi.
The opening night.
Famous bakushi (rope masters) Akira Naka and Kazami Ranki (left to right).
And Urado Hiroshi and Arisue Go (left to right).
What was even more astonishing was that as a result of the successful book launch party other opportunities arose including talks at the main Kinokunya bookstore branch in Tokyo, a meeting with famed rope master Akira Naka to discuss plans to bring him to the United States in 2014 and, most extraordinary of all, a meeting with the widow of the great SM novelist Oniroku Dan arranged as part of an interview for Mania Club magazine.
Aki-sama, famous singer and widow of the late Oniroku Dan holds
Master K’s book.
For those who might not know who this venerable literary figure is, here is an extract from his biography in “The Beauty of Kinbaku”:
Dan Oniroku – novelist, publisher, producer
Dan Oniroku is the pen name of arguably Japan’s most famous SM/fetish writer, born in 1931 in Saga Prefecture as Kuroiwa Yukihiko. He himself said his penname could be read either as Dan Oniroku or Dan Kiroku, but the former is the name by which he is most commonly known. He graduated from Kansai Gakuin (Kansai Academy) with a degree in law, but in 1957 he won a newcomers literary prize for a short story and began his career as a professional writer. After he contributed the story Hana to Hebi (“Flower and Snake“) to the SM magazine Kitan Club, he became famous as an erotic novelist which became his métier. During his lengthy literary career he penned, edited or published over 159 literary works.
He began writing Hana to Hebi under the penname Hamamaki Kyotaro for Kitan Club in 1961, but lost all interest in it after only three chapters. He then met Minomura Kou and Tsujimura Takashi (famous bakushi and writers and editors for the legendary Japanese BDSM magazine Kitan Club). With renewed interest he finished the story which was published to great acclaim in Kitan Club in 1962. The novel’s depiction of the psychology of SM was a startling literary departure for its day and became one of Dan’s major themes as a novelist. To date “Flower and Snake” has been serialized and/or republished numerous times and at least three successful motion pictures have been adapted from it. It remains Dan’s most famous literary work.
In 1969 he started his own production company, Oni Pro, and a year later affiliated with publisher Haga Shoten and, in collaboration with photographers and bakushi Totsuka Eisaku and Kayama Shigeru, began to publish high quality shibari/kinbaku photo collections on various themes. In 1971 he directed his own film entitled Nikujogoku and in 1972 began his successful collaboration with Nikkatsu studios on their “roman porno” series of erotic films. Many of his scripts starred the legendary actress Tani Naomi and their collaboration continued until her retirement in 1978 after the production of fifteen films.
Also in 1972 Dan launched his own “golden age” magazine, SM King. A quality publication employing the best writers and artists of the time, it got a lot of attention on its launch as a magazine employing, “only female editors.” In 1973 Tsujimura Takashi was appointed as “kinbaku shidou” (rope master/teacher) for SM King and also wrote his famous “Camera Hunt“ column.
In 1989 Dan Oniroku announced that he was retiring from writing and devoted himself to the publication of the short lived chess magazine Shogi Journal (Author’s note: Dan was an accomplished amateur player of shogi – Japanese chess). However, in 1995 he returned to writing and published the mainstream novel Shinkenshi Koike Juumei. His other major works include: Ashura, Nikuno Kaoyaku, Yuugao, and Ori no naka no Yousei as well as a fictional work based on the life of Itoh Seiyu. In 2000 his witty and wise semi-autobiographical novel Bishonen was successfully brought to the screen by director Hiroki Ryuichi under the title “I am an SM Writer.”
Dan Oniroku has been honored many times over the years for his creative output and in 1999 his autobiography Hana wa Kurenai (“Flowers are Crimson”) was published. Ironically, Dan would have preferred to have been remembered as a serious writer and not one known mostly for his fetish work. However, his influence on the evolution and practice of modern Japanese SM and shibari/kinbaku is indisputable. He passed away in 2011 with his fame as the most important, influential and talented Japanese writer of BDSM material still undisputed.
Shortly after the launch party the word came that the book was going into second printing. As a result of this startling news the publisher arranged for a visit to and a book talk in Japan’s beautiful and ancient second city of Kyoto where we stayed at an authentic and lovely ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn), toured several of that old cities (so different from Tokyo) distinctive and historic temples and even had a visit from some geisha.
A street in Kyoto.
A beautiful ryokan.
A temple in Kyoto.
The geisha were part of a lovely celebratory banquet… but they didn’t know what to make of Kinbaku!
The Geisha’s perform.
The beautiful costume and hairstyle of the Geisha.
But they don’t know what to make of Master K’s book!
Our trip was fast concluding but there was still time for two more surprises: the first was an interview for TV Tokyo which included my tying an interested gallery visitor …
Master “K” gives an interview for TV Tokyo at the Shinzuka-za gallery.
Master “K” tying an interested gallery visitor.
And the second was the presentation to Zetsu and myself of instructor’s certificate for the Yukimura ryu (school) of Newaza style Kinbaku. A true honor after many hours of instruction with this great rope master.
Yukimura Haruki sensei teaching.
Master K’s teaching certificate in the Yukimura ryu.
As I said, a dream of a dream come true!
But so well deserved!!! I am delighted with the success of your trip and I’m sure everyone will read this article with great interest.
