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Nyotaimori (女体盛り?, "serve (foods) on the female body"), often referred to as "body sushi", is the Japanese practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the naked body of a woman. Nantaimori (男体盛り?) refers to the same practice using a male model. The Japanese practice of nyotaimori – serving sushi on a naked body – is said to have its origins in the samurai period in Japan. In the words of chef Mike Keenan, "The naked sushi idea began during the samurai period in Japan. It was a subculture to the geishas. It would take place in a geisha house as a celebration after a victorious battle."
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Nyotaimori originated in Ishikawa Prefecture and continues to be practiced there.
Procedures
"Before becoming a living sushi platter, the person (usually a woman) is trained to lie down for hours without moving. She or he must also be able to withstand the prolonged exposure to the cold food. Before service, the individual is supposed to have taken a bath using a special fragrance-free soap and then finished off with a splash of cold water to chill the body down somewhat for the sushi. In some parts of the world, in order to comply with sanitation laws, there must be a layer of plastic or other material between the sushi and the body of the woman or man."
In traditional nyotaimori, the model is generally expected to lie still at all times and not talk with guests. The sushi is placed on sanitized leaves on the model's body to prevent skin-to-fish contact and on sufficiently flat areas of the body off which the sushi will not roll. Nyotaimori is considered an art form.
Usually champagne and sake are served in naked sushi restaurants. Guests must be respectful and observe the strictest decorum. Talking with the models is highly discouraged. Inappropriate gestures or comments are not tolerated and diners can only pick up sushi with chopsticks, although rules in some restaurants are less strict. For example, in some restaurants guests can nibble nori rolls off nipples if they choose.
Reception
Some individuals argue that it objectifies the woman doing the serving. Guardian columnist Julie Bindel notes that the woman being used to serve the food, on at least one occasion in London, looked "as if in a morgue, awaiting a postmortem".
The practice has been described as decadent, humiliating, cruel, and objectifying. It has received popularity in Japanese organized crime.
Worldwide reception varies as several countries have banned the practice. In 2005, China has outlawed nyotaimori due to public health reasons and imposed moral censorship issues.
The birthday party of South African entrepreneur Kenny Kunene on 21 October 2010, which hosted ANCYL president Julius Malema and featured nyotaimori, was criticised by COSATU secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi, leading to a political row. The ANCWL condemned nyotaimori at Kunene's party as an attack on the bodily integrity and dignity of women in South Africa.