Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage - erotic book by Greenery Press - review by ellieprobable

Midori is a world-renowned sexuality educator and rope bondage artist. She teaches workshops all over the world on topics related to sexuality and BDSM. Easily one of the biggest names in the kink community, if you meet her, you will understand why. She has a no-nonsense approach to teaching that is refreshing and engaging. She brings that approach to her writing, making this an excellent book for a crash course on rope bondage.

This book is geared toward a beginner or intermediate audience. Midori does a great job addressing beginners without boring people that are already somewhat knowledgeable about BDSM. This book does not just include technical information but has a significant proportion of philosophical/theoretical treatment of rope bondage. Midori's tone is gentle without being coddling and helpful without being overly cheerful or twee.

The book is broken into three sections: The Heart, The Body, and The Techniques. The Heart section includes a brief introduction, an essay on the aesthetics of Japanese bondage, a history of rope in Japan, and a scene analysis from both a top and bottom perspective.

The Body section includes rope selection and safety information. This covers discussion of rope material, sizes, tools and equipment, and safety concerns related to anatomy and medical conditions.

Finally, the Techniques section includes step-by-step tutorials on several ties. All together, 11 separate ties are covered that can be combined and mixed and matched into a variety of full-body positions. The book culminates in hogties and partial suspension which actually (safety and technique-wise) puts it firmly in the category of intermediate to advanced. Midori wraps up the technique section with discussion of aftercare specific to a rope scene.

Finally, the book includes a bibliography and additional sources of information and materials.

The book is organized coherently and has a high quality printing. As a soft back book with a glue binding I've not had trouble with it remaining sturdy. It also lays open easily which is important for a bondage tutorial book as you might not always have a hand free to hold the pages open. The illustrations are well-done and I appreciated that the pages were laid out with a lot of white space. The minimal information on each tutorial page helps keep your place and makes the complex ties less overwhelming. The full-color photos are positioned to give an action shot of each tie that is featured.

While this book is not remotely discreet (it has Dita von Teese naked on the cover) it is beautiful and often lives on my coffee table.

I own many of the most widely available bondage books and this one has always been one of my favorites. When I made the mistake of loaning it to someone and didn't get it back, I was glad for the chance to purchase it again from Eden and review it for all of you.

I used this book during rope practice as both a top and a bottom and find the tutorials easy to follow. The book also offers some in-depth thoughts about scene design and pacing as well as the history of Japanese bondage.

The images will also transport you as you consider how to take various ties and make them your own. The photographs in full color are beautifully done and help make the book inspirational as well as educational.