Nawa

縄 (Japanese)

Nawa is a generic word for rope.

Description

In SM play, a distinction is sometimes made between the Japanese word "nawa" and the english word "rope" where "nawa" refers to bast-fiber ropes, and "rope" refers to cotton rope or cotton-like SM rope.

In compound words, nawa can have a double meaning. For example, the "nawa" in "munenawa" can mean a rope itself being placed on the chest or breast, or it can mean "binding" or "tie" and is one of the many names for a type of bondage known as Takatekote. Other examples where nawa can mean "binding" are found in the terms "matanawa," "aranawa" ("rough bondage"), "hayanawa," "honnawa," "Semenawa," etc.

Types of nawa

• Asanawa: bast-fiber rope made from hemp, jute, ramie, linen

• Aranawa: straw rope

• Mennawa: cotton rope

Alternatives

• Rope: Used in names for a variety of rope materials.

• Himo (cord): Used in names like "gomu himo" (rubber cord) and "biniiru himo" (vinyl cord).

Nawa used in general bondage terms

• Amattanawa: Remaining/leftover rope

• Tattenawa: Vertical line

Interesting Points

縄 (pronounced "jyou") is the title of a book of illustrations by Yoji Muku.

"縄　It's only bondage" is a label used in some Cinemagic videos featuring kinbakushi such as Chimuo Nureki and Haruki Yukimiura.