Nawa

縄 (Japanese)

Nawa is a generic word for rope.

Description

Nawa is a popular tying implement in kinbaku. In SM play, a distinction is sometimes made between the Japanese word "nawa" and the english word "rope." In this case, "nawa" refers to bast-fiber ropes, and "rope" refers to cotton ropes or cotton-like SM ropes.

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" ("crotch tie"), "aranawa" ("rough bondage"), "hayanawa" ("Fast Binding") "honnawa" ("Formal Binding"), "Semenawa" ("Torment Binding") 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 Yukimura.