Belgium

One thread in Belgium’s rope history runs through a teacher trained in Japan. A-Nicolas, who performed for years as Nicolas Yoroï, first traveled to Japan in 2004 and studied there between 2005 and 2010 with Arisue Gō as his main teacher; he gave his first performance in Tokyo in 2008. Back in Europe he developed his own style, Yoroi-ryū, and opened his first dojo in Brussels in 2015 and what he counts as his fifth in 2024. Among his other teachers he names Hajime Kinoko, Kazami Ranki and Felix Ruckert. His current dojo, its training weekends and its weekly jam are described in the Brussels guide.

Namur and a festival on film

In Wallonia, Atelier Mae, a Belgian non-profit (ASBL) with premises in Namur, hosted the second edition of the Graines de Cordes shibari festival there in July 2024, a program of classes, discussions and jams. The same association runs the International Shibari Film Festival, whose first edition, on 2 July 2026 at Cinema Aventure in Brussels, screened an international selection of films that take an artistic view of shibari, followed by a discussion and an audience vote.

Flanders

In the Dutch-speaking north, regular practice runs through smaller organizers. Shibari Lounge in Antwerp holds relaxed Sunday-afternoon rope jams, with an optional two-hour practice class beforehand; its summer Sundays are open to all levels, to people who only want to watch and to artists who want to draw. In Leuven, Tsuri Neko combines a rope shop with lessons, private teaching and jams; its site is in English, French and Dutch. Shibari-Tantra pairs rope with tantric principles of breath and presence, states that its work is not BDSM, and runs free monthly introductions in Ghent alongside classes in three levels and workshops in several Flemish towns. Hipsy’s shibari listing, viewed on 1 November 2026, also showed a November rope jam in Lokeren.

How it fits together

The Brussels guide covers A-Nicolas’ dojo, the film festival and the capital’s other rope programs. Namur and the Flemish cities add a festival, jams and classes. The wider European context is told in Kinbaku in Europe. For what to expect at a first session, see What happens at a first shibari class.