Hojojutsu

捕縄術(Japanese)

From Yūbin Hōchi Shinbun 484. Art by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka.

Hojojutsu (aka Torinawajutsu) is the Art of Rope Capture. Originally developed as a part of Jujutsu during the Warring States period of Japan, it was later adapted as a method to capture, restrain and control criminals during the Edo period. In the Meiji period, Hojojutsu was inherited by Metropolitan Police Departments. In the twentieth century, it has also provided great influence on the development of erotic SM play in Japan up until today.

Description

Hojojutsu has two main divisions. The first is called Hayanawa (Fast Binding) and is used for the capture and restraint of a resisting opponent. The second is called Honnawa (Formal Binding) and is used for the transport, escort and punishment of a prisoner.

History

From Zukai Hojojutsu by Seiko Fujita (1995)

Warring States Period

(15th-17th centuries)

During a period when centralized imperial control collapses and regional domains fight for control, the Takenouchi jujutsu school is founded in 1532, and it teaches rope capture among its techniques. It has been credited as the first hojojutsu school.

Edo Period

(1603 - 1868)

As Japan is pacified and brought under the authority of the Tokugawa shogunate in the early decades of the 1600s, hojojutsu moves into law enforcement in the larger towns and cities.

Meiji Period

(1868 - 1912)

After a struggle between forces claiming loyalty to the emperor and those to the Tokugawa, the Tokugawa shogunate is brought to an end and a new government is established. Law enforcement practice is reorganized along European models, and hojojutsu gradually becomes more simplified and limited in use.

20th Century

Showa Period (1926 - 1989)

After the war, many kinbakushis, such as Takashi Tsujimura, Chimuo Nureki, and Denki Akechi, developed their bondage styles by referencing techniques from hojojutsu. In other words, while hojojutsu certainly influenced SM during the Showa period, SM in that era did not originate from hojojutsu. The pioneer of SM in the Showa period, Seiu Ito, commenced SM activities during the Taisho period, raising the question of how much hojojutsu influenced Ito. None of the documents record that Seiu Ito examined hojojutsu, but numerous post-war publications, such as plays, illustrations, and novels, clearly reflect similar interests and knowledge of torment that extend from hojojutsu, as well as public punishment in the Edo period. However, “Torment Story” (1929), written by Seiu Ito after the start of SM activities, discussed the difference between torment and torture without mentioning hojojutsu in the context. In the post-war revision of “Torment Story” (1952), Ito drew a sharp distinction between female bondage in public punishment and private torment for personal sexual pleasure. The origin of SM is profoundly influenced by plays, paintings, and novels rather than hojojutsu, especially considering that Seiu Ito had a strong interest in works depicting torment scenes since childhood. The depictions of torment in plays, illustrations, and novels suggest the influence of hojojutsu; however, “torment” has existed since ancient times, reflected in folklores and literary motifs such as “Princess Anju.”

Hojojutsu in Literature

• Eigoro Omaeda (1921)
• Female Ninja Constable Diaries (Manga)

Hojojutsu in Art

Illustrations and Prints

Hojojutsu in Movies

• Zenigata Heiji Detective Story: Heiji Covers All of Edo (1949)
• Zenigata Heiji Torimono Hikae: Bijin-gumo (1960)