Ever heard of Steve Osada? If you're not a regular on the traditional Japanese bondage scene, you may not have, but within the shibari houses of Tokyo's seedy Kabukicho district, he's The Man. Shibari, also known as kinbaku, is the Japanese art of erotic bondage, differentiated from Western bondage by its focus on ties that actively pleasure the bottom, as well as its minimalist, often asymmetric, aesthetic. While not the only culture to enjoy tying their lovers up, the Japanese may be more open about it than most. Image by Max Hodges Osada Steve is one of the few living ...

Tokyo's red light district of Kabukicho is renowned as being the hub of sin and vice in heart of Shinjuku. It's not the only area of course, but it does have a very large concentration of host and hostess clubs, bars, restaurants, soaplands (brothels), and lots of fun-loving crowds of men and women out for a good time. Setting foot in this area can be intimidating for foreign visitors. Aside from the fact that foreigners are subtly prohibited from entering the more fun places, the types of folks in Kabukicho are very different from what you'll find in Ginza, Shibuya, and other ...