Key specs

Material: Jute (tossa)
Colour: Natural
Treatment: Lightly treated
Construction: Single-ply, 3 strands
Diameter: 6 mm
Source: Ogawa
Vegan: Yes

Ogawa is a long-established rope from Japan, and their jute rope is a common sight in shibari. This is a single-ply tossa jute in natural colour — lightweight, with a very consistent twist making it a popular choice for photography. Ogawa has a relatively loose twist and is quite soft, which means it breaks in quickly and holds knots and frictions well.

A note on JBO: Ogawa jute rope has a light smell due to the use of jute batching oil during production. This smell fades over time, particularly if the rope is allowed to air. If you'd prefer a rope with less JBO, our own Anatomie jute line has a much lower smell.

We will work quickly to ship your order as soon as possible. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary depending on your location.

Surface fuzz is normal. New jute develops a layer of fine fuzz. Some people singe this off; you can also brush it off with a coir brush, or just allow it to shed naturally with use. It's part of the breaking-in phase every jute rope goes through and not a defect.

Keep it dry. Jute is a natural fibre doesn't love being damp. If you can, we recommend airing your ropes out after use by hanging them. If your ropes do get wet you'll need to hang them under tension.

Re-oil when it dries out. Over time and use, jute loses some of the oils and will start to feel stiff and brittle. Re-treat the ropes with a jute-suitable oil (camellia/tsubaki oil is standard, jojoba oil is also very popular). How often you'll need to treat your ropes depends on how often you use it, whether it's used on skin or clothing and also the climate.

Which length do I actually need?

Most people will want to purchase the 7.5 m length for shibari. We make longer lengths available to for those who prefer to cut ropes to a specific length, or sometimes because Naka-style practitioners light a single long rope in their kit.

How do these ropes compare with your Anatomie line of ropes?

They're quite similar apart from a few details. Our Anatomie jute ropes are a bit tougher in general, which makes the longer lasting but also comes at the cost of a slightly longer breaking-in period. Ogawa ropes are feel a little bit softer out of the box, but do have a slight JBO-smell in the beginning too.

If you're unsure where to start we suggest purchasing our Anatomie jute ropes.