Marica Hase Marks a Decade of Kinbaku Artistry with Norio Sugiura -

New photography and video from Hase’s recent trip to Japan renew a collaboration with the renowned photographer that has lasted more than 10 years.

LOS ANGELES — Marica Hase is returning to one of the art forms most closely connected to her years in Japan with new kinbaku photography and video created in collaboration with photographer Norio Sugiura. The work, shot during Hase’s recent trip to Japan, is now featured through SugiuraNorio.jp.

Hase has modeled for Sugiura for more than 10 years and has an even longer history as a professional kinbaku model. Her work with traditional rope masters has included photography sessions and live performances, making the form more than an occasional visual theme in her career.

“Since I lived in Japan, I have worked as a kinbaku model and participated in many sessions with traditional rope masters,” Hase said. “Kinbaku is one of the art forms I have always loved and respected. I have been one of Norio Sugiura’s models for more than 10 years, and I am very happy to share the photos and videos we shot during my last trip to Japan. The positions and setups are very difficult, but these are my favorite moments.”

The new images place Hase inside Sugiura’s dynamic, documentary-like approach to kinbaku photography. Difficult positions and carefully constructed setups are part of the work, but Hase’s familiarity with the form gives the collaboration the continuity of two artists returning to a shared visual language.

Sugiura is internationally recognized for his kinbaku photography and has worked with prominent rope artists and models across decades. His official website includes an English-language menu for international visitors interested in exploring the latest Hase material.

The project also arrives within a larger personal comeback for Hase. The supplied biography describes her return to performing and Japanese television after breast-cancer treatment, including surgery in 2022, and a later cervical-cancer diagnosis in early 2025. Those experiences now sit alongside her continuing cancer-awareness and animal-rescue advocacy.

Hase’s career has moved between Japanese television, film, magazine modeling and international performance work. This latest collaboration narrows the focus back to an art form she says has remained one of her favorites—and to a photographer with whom she has built more than a decade of history.