Saikatsu 才勝

Saikatsu was a rope tier and longtime assistant to Akechi Denki. Saikatsu is a working name: the 2019 Kinbaku Today interview calls it an alias. The obituary published on the blog of the rope artist Akechi Kanna and Kagura writes it 才勝, while Nawapedia gives 彩勝 and lists 才勝 as a variant. According to the obituaries by Kanna and by Kinbaku Today, Saikatsu died on July 1, 2024. Kanna’s notice stresses that Saikatsu never claimed the title of professional kinbakushi, avoided the main stage and stayed an amateur for life, working behind the scenes.

With Akechi Denki

In the 2019 interview, Saikatsu traces an interest in rope to a bound princess in a film seen around 1960, and to issues of Kitan Club found later while a student. Saikatsu recalls first seeing a live rope show in the late 1970s, by Tamai Keiyū, and then Akechi’s Phantom shows at the Nakano Queen club. After an interview with Akechi on December 24, 1980, Saikatsu joined Akechi’s member group, Studio Phantom, took photographs at its sessions and later ran the reception desk at shows and photo sessions. The first tie Saikatsu made, at Akechi’s invitation, was at a 1983 photo session in Sasazuka; by Saikatsu’s account Akechi never gave formal lessons, and Saikatsu learned by watching through a video camera’s viewfinder. Akechi often repeated one piece of advice: begin with the ushiro-te and finish with it.

Kanna writes that Saikatsu served for many years as Akechi’s assistant and at times carried out rope work in Akechi’s place. For one video job for Soft On Demand, Akechi lent Saikatsu rope and the name Akechi Saiki, printed on a business card; Nawapedia notes that the reading of 明智才鬼 needs confirmation. Saikatsu told the interviewers that the name was meant for that single job and insisted on not being a disciple (deshi).

Teaching and Bakuyūkai

Kinbaku Today’s 2016 article on Matsui Kenji sets out the teaching line at the Ginza bar Black Heart: Matsui Kenji was its first rope teacher from 1998, with Saikatsu assisting, Akechi followed in 2004, and after Akechi’s death in 2005 Saikatsu became the third teacher, still teaching advanced students there in 2016. Nawapedia also records Saikatsu as an instructor at Black Heart and lists a rope show at the bar’s 16th annual party in 2014.

Saikatsu was also part of Bakuyūkai, the rope school founded in 1996 with Akechi as its first president and Miura Takumi as vice-president. In the 2019 interview Saikatsu describes helping check grading tests at its Sugamo dōjō for tension, form and time. The Kinbaku Today obituary calls Saikatsu a regular presence there, and Kanna names Saikatsu as an adviser (komon) to the group.

Writing and later years

Kinbaku Today says Saikatsu contributed to Sanwa Publishing’s Mania Club under the name Shimokawa Tetsu; Nawapedia gives the name as Shimokawa Tetsune. Nawapedia lists nine parts of a “Basics of Shibari” series with DVDs in that magazine between May 2011 and September 2012, among them a takate-kote. Kanna credits Saikatsu with working as assistant staff at Kanna’s events and with helping plan the revival of Akechi’s Phantom Show. In the interview Saikatsu said Akechi preferred the word nawashi to kinbakushi, and Saikatsu also avoided the word kinbaku.