Japanese bondage is a very unique style. It centers around rope bondage, cloth and other materials are very rarely used for anything other than gags. Since the aesthetics of the bound subject is of utmost importance, Japanese bondage is usually referred to as an art (Kinbaku-bi). Another important point is that traditional Japanese bondage is not meant to keep the subject in place for any sexual activity. The estetics and the pressures of the rope on genitals and breasts are seen as payoff enough for this activity.
As with other forms of Japanese art (i.e. Bonsai), Japanese bondage is highly formalized, that means the positions and patterns are well defined and kinbaku artists are expected to follow them as closely as possible.
The rope used in Japanese bondage is usually made of hemp or jute and 23’ (7 meters) long. Because Caucasians are usually taller than Japanese, 26-28’ (8-8.5m) rope is more commonly used in the western world.
Knots are rare in Japanese bondage. If you need knots, only the cow hitch knot and overhand knot are allowed by traditional Kinbaku.