RikOkasa
Where the DungeonPlace panel discusses the world’s perception of Kinksters and why we aren’t as…”exciting” as the media would like us to be.
Panelists: Tutivillus, DarlingEvil, GamerUK, Goddess, Aine, Syr BigDog, Liquid Jade
Site of the Week:
RikOsaka
http://riksanchez.net/
http://riksanchez.blogspot.com/?zx=af93f4c5a7b0d10d
Shibari by: Hajime Kinoko http://fetlife.com/users/353995
1) How did you get hooked into shooting the Fetish scene in Osaka.
1- I starting shooting video here in ’95, fashion shows, hair makeup shows, bands, etc…and in 2000 a friend introduced me to a guy doing gothic parties. I started shooting at his parties and soon other people who organize s/m event noticed me shooting there. The gothic guy introduced those people to me and I started shooting the s/m events and making DVD’s of their events. Actually in the beginning there weren’t any DVD’s, I made video tapes, later I started making DVD’s. I was one of the few foreigners shooting video seriously back then and so I stood out, plus I was using the Canon XL-1 at the time, a huge camera so that really made me stand out.
2) Were you doing this in the States? Or is this an interest born overseas?
2-back in San Francisco where I lived before I came to Japan I was working in a commercial photo lab, doing dark room work and also working with color stat cameras. Didn’t have an interest in fetish or s/m back then, knew nothing about it. It’s after I came to Japan that I started shooting the s/m events that I got interested in it.
3) You describe yourself as a “Fetishist” does this extend beyond the lens? If so, how?
3-don’t practice s/m, and the closest thing they had on the profile menu was fetishist. I like corsets and the way it makes a woman look. When shooting the s/m events at the beginning I met a woman who designs corsets. I started shooting photos/videos of her fashion shows and we ended up making a 5 disc DVD. Some have her fashion shows, some have some of her shibari, and the rest are short scenes, very stylish and visual. Here is the site for her corsets. http://www.visiona-corset.com/
I shot most of the models on her site. We went together to Paris where she did a fashion show at Nuit Demonia, the big s/m event every december.
4) In your own words, what makes the Osaka scene better than Tokyo? (Something I can quote that you’re comfortable with).
4-the scenes are about the same, there might be more parties in Tokyo because there are more people but in general living in Osaka is better. Not as crowded, the people are friendlier. In Osaka we are proud to have our own scene apart from Tokyo. Lots of people have moved there to make more money or get a better job, those of us who stay in Osaka want to make something on our own. Sure, if I moved to Tokyo, there is a lot of things there already set up or I can join something already established but the few parties we have here are special because it’s not a monthly or every two months kinda thing like in Tokyo.
One quote might be Tokyo is the capital but Osaka is the heart and soul of Japan. We also have Kyoto and Kobe nearby and those places are very cool also. My friends work at an s/m lounge/bar in Kyoto and so on the way to their bar you can see the maiko-the apprentice geisha walking around, then you go upstairs and see women in corsets and fishnets, see some shibari action, its great.
And our food really is better. Osaka is known as having great food. Plus it is much better being the underdog. I hear from friends about their small, overpriced shitty apartments and if you want a bigger, cheaper place, my friend live like 40 min. by train from Tokyo and commuting is hell for him. I also like the fact that I can ride my bike easily across Osaka, Cruising around on a bike is a great way to see the city. Everyone here rides a bike. That’s another thing, before you come here make sure you bring good walking shoes, you will do a lot of walking around. My sister came here and the first week she was here her feet were swollen and hurting. She drives everywhere back in Texas, here you do a ton of walking. I am used it to now, sometimes I walk home when I go out to my friend’s club, easily a 1 hour walk, just put on my iPod and walk, great exercise.
5) Last, what’s the greatest misconception Westerners have about the Japanese S/M, Fetish, Kink world?
5-I went out with a friend last night and was telling her about the happening bars. She was surprised by what goes on here. She is from England and she imagined the shy, quiet polite Japanese but behind closed doors, they are some pretty wild people. One thing that is different here is there is no influence from Christianity. So sex is not seen as something dirty and shameful like in the west. Everyone does it and talking about it openly is no big deal. Also nudity is no big deal either, there are usually some women topless on tv when they have a hotsprings scene on some soap opera and when I first came her there were lots of shows after 11pm that had lots of tits and ass, they had porn dvd reviews, mini contest showing who had the biggest tits, all kinds of softcore stuff. It’s not as common now on TV. But once you look behind the closed doors you find a lot of parties happening in some plain looking buildings.
There are all kinds of places where you can get what you want if you have the money. Fetish bars, s/m bars, delivery services where you order a domme or submissive and you meet them at hotel and depending on the course you pay for, play for an hour or 90 min. or whatever. Like having a girl sit on your face and smother you, no problem, there is a delivery service for that. want a really big and fat japanese girl to play with, no problem. So lots of Japanese can get there kink on anytime they want for a fee and that leads to happier, stress free people. At least that is my theory.
The japanese are very normal in their day to day life, but once they get to their favorite bar or club, then they can get their kink on and be among their kink friends. At my friend’s bar last night there was a guy in his 50′s sitting in thong having some drinks by himself, totally normal at that bar, you can be who you want to be without being seen as abnormal. And in the japanese society everyone has to be normal and not stand out, especially in the business world of suits and ties. Thankfully Japan has a ton of these bars and clubs so people who are into that can access it anytime they want, not just at certain times when there is a big event and pretty much every city in Japan is like that, in the smaller cities there might be one fetish bar in town.
Look behind a closed door here in Japan and you will be surprised by what is going on.
Tags: BDSM, podcast, fetish, kink, kinky, sex, sexuality, dungeonplace, media, csi, monsters
Visit other great Fetish and Kink sites at ABH!
Podcast: Play in new window
| Download
