Over 20 Years of Teaching Shibari in Gijón, Asturias
We have been dedicated to the study and teaching of shibari since 2004 — welcoming everyone from the simply curious to those wishing to explore the art in depth, and especially couples who wish to weave it into their shared erotic life.
The dojo is based in the countryside surrounding Gijón, Asturias, in northern Spain. It is a calm, unhurried environment wrapped in nature and the sound of running water — a place that naturally slows you down and draws your attention inward, which is precisely the pace that shibari kinbaku invites.
That natural setting is intentional. It allows us to hold much of our training outdoors, in a space designed to nurture focus, presence, and an appreciation of beauty in its purest form.
Gijón itself is a small city on Spain’s northern coast, well connected by direct flights to several European cities and capitals, as well as daily air and land routes to Spain’s major urban centers.
For organizational reasons, and in keeping with our way of working, the exact location is disclosed only after enrollment in an activity has been confirmed.
We are not a bar or a social club, so we cannot accommodate drop-in visits — prior booking is always necessary.
If you need assistance planning your trip, we’ll be glad to recommend travel options, accommodation, and other experiences in Asturias beyond shibari itself.
For those unable to visit in person, we also offer a dedicated online platform for shibari instruction in English.
Our Dojo
Dojo, from the Japanese dōjō (道場): “a place to travel the Way.”
We understand the dojo as an immersive learning environment for shibari kinbaku — not a recreation of a Japanese setting, but a space shaped by our own identity and way of doing things.
Even so, we pay attention to certain traditional details: the layout and orientation of the space, the placement of fuda plaques on the wall and at the entrance.
We are part of a school — Yagami-ryu — and teach a discipline rooted in Japanese tradition. Out of respect and coherence, we maintain certain forms, always interpreted through our own sensibility.
It is not about imitation, but about learning deeply in order to create something authentic — something that is truly our own, and beautiful.
By the River
The banner at the entrance reads “the atelier by the river.”
Our dojo lies fully immersed in nature, on a landscaped estate in the heart of rural Gijón, where much of our activity takes place outdoors.
Stepping away from the city and returning to nature reflects how we understand shibari kinbaku: discovering beauty within people, not just on the outside.
It means noticing what already exists — what is already perfect — without complicating it.
Above all, it means giving everyone who enters the dojo the space to grow, to explore their own way of practising and experiencing shibari, without imposing a single model or limiting the process.
Our Story
It all began around the turn of the millennium. As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together” — and along Spain’s northern coast, the northeast wind never stops blowing. Perhaps it was that steady breeze that brought together a group of people united by shared curiosity and a desire to explore shibari.
After a period of meeting in public spaces, in 2004 we took the leap and created our first dedicated venue: Nawakai Gijón, a shared workshop space alongside other creative collectives. Those were the La Munster years.
We organized workshops — including a visit from Hajime Kinoko — and other events, both private and open to the public. Among them, projects such as the Secret Spot sessions, where shibari merged with electronic music for an intimate live audience and streaming broadcast, and the Vermunster gatherings, which began at noon and lasted until sunset, sharing the stage with artists like Pablo Und Destruction and Fee Rega.
That creative period led us to grow further and eventually move to a space of our own: The Kinky Club, a venue of over 100 m² dedicated to practice, workshops, and events. Instructors such as Kinbaku Luxuria (Ricardo Wildties and Ale Redsabbath), Isabelle Hanikamu, and of course Yagami Ren all shared their knowledge and passion for shibari kinbaku within those walls.
During that stage, our focus leaned toward the social side of shibari: parties, performances with musicians like César Maltrago, events such as the Shibari GastroNight, and a long chain of shared moments.
Over time, our interests shifted toward something quieter and more deliberate. We moved to the countryside and opened the dojo, guided by Yagami Ren and his approach as our compass — while remaining open to other interpretations of Japanese bondage and journeying alongside practitioners like Barkas and Addie.
Then came the pandemic — lockdowns, restrictions, uncertainty. The dojo continued operating in small-group format and through our virtual shibari-dojo online.
Everything we experienced — before and during that time — shaped who we are today.
Where We Are Now
Over the years, the dojo has continued to evolve at its own steady, unhurried pace, developing a way of teaching and living shibari kinbaku that is more conscious, ethical, and aligned with our values.
Far from the noise and haste, our work centers on process, on the lived experience of each moment — without losing sight of the shared path and community spirit that make learning truly meaningful.
In recent years, we have expanded our reach online, building a dedicated platform that reflects much of what we have learned — while also traveling to other places and countries to share our vision of shibari with the wider world.