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Nawashi (縄師) (noun; lit. "rope master", "rope teacher" or "maker of string"), is a word which in SM circles it means "rope artist". Nawashi are those who have some recognized proficiency in the historic erotic art of kinbaku (緊縛) (lit. tight binding) or kinbaku-bi (lit. beautiful bondage).
Other terms used in Japan for rope artists within SM culture are: Kinbakushi and Bakushi, with Bakushi being more typical.
In early 2007 a documentary movie entitled Bakushi produced by Naoya Narita and directed by Ryūichi Hiroki was released. In it, three Japanese ropemasters (bakushi), Chimuo Nureki, Haruki Yukimura, and Go Arisue, along with three of their models, Hiromi Saotome, Sumire, and Taeko Uzuki. are interviewed by Hiroki. Running time: 94 MIN.
Two famous nawashi are the late Osada Eikichi (2001) and Akechi Denki (2005). Other notable Japanese bakushi are Naka Akira, Haruki Yukimura, Hajime Kinoko, Randa Mai, Go Arisue, Chimuo Nureki and Chiba Eizoh. One notable female bakushi is Benio Takara.
The art of kinbaku has become popular in the west since the mid-1990s with a number of notable western practitioners shaping their rope art in Japanese inspired forms. These include Esinem, Gestalta, Gorgone, JackWhipper, Milla Reika, Osada Steve, _S_, MaestroBD, Wildties, Wykd Dave, and Yukinaga Max.