Shogun's Sweet Dreams - Japanese D/s

Japanese rope bondage will more than likely come to most people's minds when they think of D/s in Japan. My first exposure to D/s was in middle school at the local neighborhood bookstore, where up against the back wall, were a bunch of magazines containing all sorts of Japanese bondage pictures. Imagine the surprise on the face of a 13 year old seeing all this for the first time…I still vividly recall that first glimpse into this lifestyle of ours.

I will be using the D/s terminology because D/s runs deeply within most every vein throughout the culture and society. While bondage and discipline is big, there isn't the emphasis on S&M found in European and U S BDSM communities. There is of course the B&D, which one finds associated with intense bondage sessions, with some light physical sadism. The primary emphasis on D/s is psychological, even spiritual in nature. This essay will concentrate on the cultural and social structure, where the foundation for D/s begins.

Japanese society is complex and semi-medieval to most Americans. This is a society that has very specific roles for every person. It is sometimes possible that one individual may have several roles. These roles may appear contradictory to the outsider, as the Japanese are experts at compartmentalization. The rules of etiquette are rigid and ancient, each person knowing exactly how to behave in any given situation. Each person has a place in society and is expected to know it and remain there. Behavior towards another is relative to the individuals' stations in life. Mannerisms, protocol and even honorific linguistic patterns vary depending upon the other individual's station in relation to the first. There is a saying that the protruding nail gets hammered in, which is in reference to society's role in banding together to protect that which has been built over thousands of years and to perpetuate the culture.

Everyone is taught duty, honor and respect from early childhood. These characteristics may help provide the impression to the rest of the world that the women are natural submissives. In reality, it is socially mandated, without option, and women are obligated to excel in their submissive role. It is common for a successful Man in Japanese society to take on mistresses and depending on his station in life, even second or third wives. Obligation is very important in Japan. Giri (obligation) dictates personal responsibility for actions in many situations.

There was an interesting program not long ago on A&E: Secrets of the Geisha. I found it quite interesting that in speaking with submissives and slaves, from both BDSM and Gorean schools of thought who viewed the program, they all saw certain similarities between their roles in D/s and the roles of the Geisha. Consider for a moment the similarities between the training of submissives or slaves and of Japanese women preparing for marriage and their roles as adults. A Japanese woman is expected to study and learn, indeed is sent to various schools to learn The Tea Ceremony, traditional dance, flower arranging, cooking and other cultural arts. She is in effect, trained for her husband/Master prior to marriage.

Perhaps the best known example is the Tea Ceremony. The Tea Ceremony, or Chado, is considered to include almost all aspects of Japanese culture. More recently referred to as The Way of Tea, it is far more than a mere ceremony or ritual, including flower arrangement, ceramic, calligraphy, in addition to the significance in the slightest of moves of the arm or hand. Originally imported from China, and heavily influenced by Zen, The Way of Tea encourages people to seek tranquility through harmony, respect and purity.

Women have been trained from birth to fulfill their roles….to submit, if you will. D/s isn't an American invention. The need to submit, the desire to serve and please isn't necessarily a component of other D/s cultures. Having said this, Japanese women gain pleasure from serving and fulfilling their duty. However, the "submission is a gift" concept is unique to the United States and possibly Europe. Anyone who saw the movie "Shogun", saw women totally subservient to men, without choice or option. The only honorable options available to women were suicide or a convent. It's important to also understand that the lack of choice available within society isn't limited to women. Men are equally limited by their station in society and possess just as few choices.

Society was divided into castes based on type of work. Lineage of prospective husband and wife are thoroughly researched. Modern day Japan boasts huge databases, able to trace the lineage of any given individual back to a particular family. It is common for marriages not to occur because of caste differences of the ancestors. A classic example is the "Burakumin" - the lowest of the castes, which worked with leather and animal hides in ancient Japan and was considered filthy. The Burakumin are to this day still considered outcasts in society. A man from other castes will not be allowed to marry a female descendent of the Burakumin. He will be disowned should he choose love over his obligation to family. If the female descendant is of Korean descent or a descendant of the Ainu, which is an Indian race from the North of Japan often thought by anthropologists to be related to Native Americans in the U.S. and who migrated to Asia thousands of years ago, it's much worse. With such a stringent caste system still in place, it should be easier to comprehend the inflexibility of a woman's position, both in her primary relationship and in society.

D/s runs deeply throughout society and has for thousands of years. Though the culture is slowly changing, it's a 3,000+ year old culture of which they are understandably very proud. The Japanese are quite well known as being sexists, racists and nationalists. Japanese men are dominant in most areas of life. Men retain an iron clad grip on the economy of the country. Somewhat a dichotomy, women run the households. In fact, the man brings his check home, gives it to his wife who in turn gives him an agreed upon allowance. The man has nothing to do with the finances of the home, delegating that responsibility to his wife.

When the man arrives home from work, the wife meets him at the front door, welcoming him home with a bow. She then escorts him into the living area and pours him a beer or cup of sake. At dinnertime, she serves the table, sitting behind and to one side, refilling his glass, plate and rice bowl. Once he has eaten, she is then free to eat. The wife also makes the Ofuro, the hot bath Japan is famous for, and he takes his bath first. Similarly, this dominance extends into the bedroom where the man dictates what will occur and when. Though the culture is "closed" to the observer, what happens behind closed doors is quite similar in terms of the dynamics to D/s relationships in this country, most often without the elements of pain which are found in the BDSM culture here.

Now, I know this all sounds strange at the beginning of the new millennium...Japan is experiencing change...it seems they are modernizing...but unless their society loses control to the revolutionaries within, things will pretty well remain the way they have been for the last 2,000 years or so. They have successfully maintained discipline within society for these thousands of years. Consider for a moment that the real leaders of the Keiretsu (the big 5-6 conglomerates) are all direct descendants of the ruling Samurai families. Scratch an inch or two beneath the surface and you are immediately transported back to the feudal ages.

They've always been great at hiding things from us Gaijin or foreigners (literal translation - foul smelling barbarians). It was that way far before the west forced Japan to open it's trade and culture at the point of cannons on gunboats and I don't anticipate that changing in the next few hundred years. The Japanese have always been fascinated with American culture, fashion and trends. To confuse fascination with respect would be a very incorrect assumption. They actually have little regard for American work ethic, educational systems and society in general. Japanese companies only send their executives over here for a maximum of two or three years to prevent them from becoming "contaminated".

I hope this may clarify some of the reasons that the Japanese D/s styles, culture and society seems SO "foreign" to most of us in the West. Whether or not you or I agree with how they do things, it's helpful to understand the reasons why things are the way they are. Understanding helps lead to appreciation and ultimately to acceptance of others' precepts, philosophies, beliefs and practices which differ as greatly from ours as day differs from night.

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