Nyotaimori: how did the tradition of eating sushi from a naked female body

Japanese tradition of eating sushi off a naked female body is known to all. Today in such esthetic meals can participate not only in the Country of the rising sun — restaurants offering exotic setting, there are many cities in the world, including in Russia. Today it is nothing more than erotic-gastronomic attraction and even in Japan, it was rarely taken seriously. Meanwhile nyotaimori tradition rooted in the distant documerica era and once had a sacral meaning. (Caution! Nude).

The translation of the word nyotaimori with Japanese sounds a bit cheeky — "presentation of the female body." But initially the ceremony was absolutely no sexual connotation. A thousand years ago in the schools of the geisha worked as mentor, preparing special girls for such important meals.

Young Japanese women, who were to perform the role of a delicious dish, never met with men except during ceremonies nyotaimori. They were bound to celibacy, which was considered one of the basic qualities in their profession. Also, she had to be attractive and to have an iron shutter.

The ceremony often lasted 5-6 hours and all the while beauty was to remain silent and motionless. Add to this another couple of hours to prepare — the girls were carefully washed, shaved, anoint with oil and then "serve".

For those wishing to become a "dish" was introduced stringent qualifying test that has withstood not all. In one ancient Japanese manuscript it was said that contestants naked laid on the table in an unheated room, and the body installed in different locations 6 chicken eggs and pieces of ice.

After that the girl left for 4 hours alone, and then checked, whether all eggs are in place. To handle even ten minutes, this check is not easy — the first ice burned his skin and then started to melt and water streams tickled her naked body, bringing the pretender crazy. But those beauties that have survived the torture, was not sorry for their suffering — services girls to nyotaimori very well paid.

In ancient times sushi is not put directly on the naked body. First, the girls skin was covered with ritual characters, and then laid leaves and flowers and then, on top of them, food. Food in any case should not have been in contact with a naked body or hair. Also touch the dishes could be exclusively with chopsticks, but the girl was not allowed to touch at all.

Masters nyotaimori prepared for years, since their task was not just the layout of food on the body, but a special placement, in accordance with Shinto ritual. For each kind of food was meant for a particular part of the body. The salmon spawn was placed on the breast, closer to the heart — she exuded strength. Fillet sword fish belly, below the navel, where, in the opinion of the Japanese, is the soul — it gave courage. And almost at the genitals laid out the pieces of eel which was responsible for virility.

Of course, the first to eat from the body of the virgin was supposed to the ruler, the head of the clan or the honored guest. Then the food started all the other participants of the ritual. The Japanese believed that the net energy from the body young, healthy and virtuous girls will be absorbed into the land and make them healthful and endowed with mystical powers.

How is it that mystical and noble ritual energy vampirism turned into a drunken feast with grasping the girls hands, dirty jokes and eating sushi off the body just hands and even lips? The decline nyotaimori fell on the sunset of the Tokugawa Shogunate, occurred during the second half of the 19th century.

In 1941, the genius of surrealism Salvador Dali at a dinner party in new York set the table for their friends on the body of his wife and Muse gala. However, the woman on top of the naked body was covered with a light cloth. Later this fashion was picked up by other artists, musicians and just pretentious rich people.

Later beautiful custom steel to use as bait for tourists, and sometimes as "flavor" for a special elite brothels. In these cases, the event becomes nothing more than entertainment for Horny fetishists and fans of "strawberries". Comes to what food is served even on the bodies of naked men. Unfortunately, this practice nyotaimori ceased to exist and is unlikely ever to be revived.