Yūgen Studio Magazine (Yūgen SM) is a print shibari kinbaku magazine born at Yūgen Studio, the space devoted to bondage and Japanese culture that Federico Kirigami and Marta Tenshiko run in Milan (Italy).
It was born at a time when the shibari publishing industry in Japan was at one of its lowest points, with falling sales and waning public interest, while in Europe titles devoted to shibari kinbaku were flourishing, alongside others already established such as Kinbaku Society or the planned second volume of The Japanese Rope Kamasutra.
Federico and Marta have worked together since 2011. Between 2016 and 2020 they ran a small venue in the city center and, in 2020, they opened Yūgen Studio.
Issue 0
The first issue, which was actually labeled issue 0, gathered several shoots made at Yūgen Studio and several articles on the shibari kinbaku subculture. It had 82 full-color printed pages, and only 350 copies were produced, priced at €15. It went on presale on April 11, 2025, and shipped in mid-June; by the time it was announced, barely a hundred copies were left.
From issue 0 to 14
The magazine has continued to be published: at the time of writing this note (October 2026), the latest issue is number 14, released in summer 2026. This issue had a limited run of 500 numbered copies, compared with 350 for issue 0. According to its own presentation, it gathers shoots made at Yūgen Studio and cultural articles by Japanese and Western experts. Its website has the information on each issue.
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