The Father of Shibari
Name:
Ito Hajime (伊藤) adopted the name Ito Seiu (伊藤晴雨)
Dates:
3 Match 1882 - 28 January 1961
Role in Shibari
Consider the father of Shibari, his paintings of the Edo period depicted people bound in rope being tortured, to produce these paintings he would first tie his models, trying to recreate famous scenes of torture in a safe manner - and in so doing, he created the modern art of shbari. Having tied his models he would photograph them and then produce paintings from the photos. This included a photographing his pregnent wife suspended upside down. a
These paintings drew national recognition and popularised rope bondage. In 1924 one newspaper contained a letter from a rope maker who complained that rope shouldn't be used for abuse in the name of art. In the 1930s censors began to crack down on sexual images which left him destitute, however after the Second World War more liberal attitudes allowed him to produce a number or books postcards and prints.
More info
Nawapedia entry for Seiu Ito
The pornographic film Hakkinbon Bijin Ranbu Yori: Semeru! (1977) directed by Nobuoru Tanska is a part fictional part reality film about the life of Ito Seiu.