Nyotaimori
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.[1] Nantaimori (男体盛り) is the male equivalent.[2]
History
The origin of nyotaimori can be traced back to the food play of wakamezake performed in Yūkaku during the Edo period, where sake would be poured into sex worker's pubic region for drinking purposes. Fuelled by Japan's economic growth in the 1960s, this practice was further evolved by the onsen industry in the Ishikawa Prefecture where the erotic nature of nyotaimori was used as a advertising tactic by the hot spring resorts to attract male customers who were on company trips to the region. The nyotaimori practice dwindled as family and private trips to the onsen destinations became increasingly popular in the 1980s and it was subsequently adopted by catering and sex establishments as an exotic attraction.[3][4]
Due to the lack of primary sources, the misconceptions of nyotaimori's origin persisted when the practice became internationally known through popular culture.[5][6]
Procedures
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.[5][failed verification][7][dead link]
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.[5][8][better source needed]
Reception outside Japan
The practice has been described as decadent,[9] humiliating,[10] degrading,[11] cruel,[10] antiquated,[11] and objectifying.[10][11] 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".[1]
Worldwide reception varies as several countries have banned the practice.[9] In 2005, China outlawed nyotaimori on naked bodies, condemning it due to public health reasons and moral issues.[12][13] In Hong Kong, organizers of a brunch event with nyotaimori met with backlash from the public and were accused of sexism under the pretence of art, after which the nyotaimori was cancelled for the event.[13]
The birthday party of South African entrepreneur Kenny Kunene on 21 October 2010, which hosted African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema and featured nyotaimori,[14] was criticised by Congress of South African Trade Unions secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi, leading to a political row.[15][16] The ANC Women's League condemned nyotaimori at Kunene's party as an attack on the bodily integrity and dignity of women in South Africa.[17]
See also
References
- ^ a b Bindel, Julie (12 February 2010). "'I am about to eat sushi off a naked woman's body'". The Guardian.
- ^ Danovich, Tove. "Is Naked Sushi All About the Nigiri or the Nudity?". Vice.
- ^ "日本人が抱く、裸体への悲しき郷愁「女体盛り」の深すぎる歴史を探る!". R-18. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "【ニッポンの裏風俗】お手頃料金で遊べる温泉風俗". メンズサイゾー. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ a b c "Naked Sushi Makes Waves in Vancouver", Inside Vancouver, 6 September 2014.
- ^ [1], Vancouver Sun, 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Your Fantasy Of Eating Sushi Off A Naked Woman In Vancouver Is Now A Reality", SuperVancouver
- ^ Naked Sushi still a thing you can do in Vancouver, DailyHive [2]
- ^ a b Vipers, Gareth (1 June 2010). "The world's weirdest dining experiences". The Independent. p. 4. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014.
- ^ a b c Strong, Jeremy (2011). "A Short Poetics of Cruel Food". Educated Tastes: Food, Drink, and Connoisseur Culture. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 168–189. ISBN 9780803219359.
- ^ a b c Sen, Mayukh (18 October 2017). "Naked Sushi Brunch Cancelled Amid Allegations of Sexism". VICE.
- ^ Roberts, Christine (5 August 2012). "Nipples covered in wasabi? Sure! Florida patrons willing to drop at least $500 can have sushi served on prone body of nude model". New York Daily News.
- ^ a b "Hong Kong 'naked sushi' event cancelled after online backlash". South China Morning Post. 17 October 2017.
- ^ Malema Eats Sushi With Kenny Archived 4 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Zalebs
- ^ Vavi's Sushi War Hots Up Archived 7 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Sowetan, 29 October 2010
- ^ COSATU Deputy Lashes Kunene, The Sowetan, 1 November 2010
- ^ A chat with 'Sushi King', Tonight, 6 February 2011