Keitai (cellphone) straps are HUGE here, almost everyone has some kind of cute thing dangling from their handset. Kinbaku (緊縛) -- traditional Japanese bondage -- is a bit more underground, but there's no reason why mainstream can't meet subculture for some fun. And that's what the makers of Kinbaku Strap think too! These are decorative phone straps for your cellphone in the guise of traditional Japanese bondage. As you can see from some of the range above, you get a naughty-looking figurine tightly bound in the customary way. Attach it to your keitai and you can advertise your ...

Recently I had the pleasure to meet the king of Tokyo's shibari scene myself, and the honour to watch during one of his sessions. A few days later then, since we share similar origins and got along well, he took me along on one of his tours with some of his admirers that came as far as from the US and Australia. Both events were a first time experience for me. Not that I don't know the "dark side" of Tokyo well enough. I know the corners of Kabukicho and am quite familiar with all kind of adult goods of course, since the discerning product selectors at KanojoToys let me tag along. I ...

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 ...