SHIJUHATTE

1Ushiro Yagura (Back of the Tower) : A woman stands, putting her hands against the wall for support and bends over. With her rear end invitingly positioned, she is ready to be mounted from behind.

2 Tachi Matsuba (Perpendicular Pine Needles): A man stands up, grabbing a woman by the ankles, lifting her up, holding her upside down, crossing one of his legs over her crotch, and penetrates her.

3 Daruma Gaeshi (Roly-Poly): A woman's thighs are bound together with a rope or closely put together. She is laid on her back helplessly. A man stands on his knees, holds her bent knees, turns her hips upwards and penetrates her.

4 Shidare Chausu (Drizzling Tea-Grinding Mill): A man lies on his back. Facing him, a woman straddles him and keeps her upper body erect, which position enables the man to enjoy watching her love juice drizzle out of her crotch.

5 Shibori Fuyo (Fiddling with the Confederate Rose): A woman sits on a man's lap with her back against him. The man fondles her breasts and clitoris as they carry on.

6 Hiyodori Goe (Riding down the Cliff): A woman is on her fours. A man penetrates her from behind good old doggy-style. Also known as "Ushiro-Dori" (From Behind), or "Defune Atodori" (Doing-It-From-Behind Outbound Ship).

7 Miyama (High Mountains): A woman lies on her back. A man stands on his knees, thrusts up her legs and penetrates her.

8 Hyaku Hei (Tightly Closed Lids): A man lies on his back. Facing him, a woman straddles him, and keeps her upper body erect, in sync with which the man push up his body towards the woman for a deeper penetration.

9 Tsuribashi (Suspension Bridge): A man kneels down, and holds a woman by the waist. The woman leans back, and supports herself with her hands on the floor. Also known as "Irifune Honte" (Inbound Boat).

10 Kubihiki Renbo (Fancy Necking): A man and woman sit face-to-face, and she straddles him. A loop of rope is placed around the back of their necks.

11 Gosho Guruma (Court Carriage): A man lies on his back. A woman straddles him sidesaddle.

12 Tegakari (Clasp): A man sits on a chair. A woman, with her back against him, sits on his lap.

13 Naruto (Whirlpool): A woman sits on a seated man with her back against him. She spreads her legs wide apart, squats there with his penis deeply inside her, and grinds away. Also known as "Naruto Ushirodori" (Whirlpool From Behind), or "Chausu Mawashi" (Turning the Tea-Grinding Mill).

14 Shumokuzori (Toppled Hammer): A man lies flat on his back. A woman lies back on top of the man. Her outstretched arms form the hammerhead, and her upper body is the hammer handle.

15 Tsubame Gaeshi (Flying Swallow): A woman lies on her stomach. A man positions himself behind her with one of his knees touching the floor. He lifts one of her legs, and places it on his shoulder. Sitting over her stretched leg, he penetrates her. The woman's body is then shaped into a graceful swallow in flight.

16 Dakijizo (Holding The Guardian Deity): A man sits on a chair. A woman straddles his thigh.

17 Oshiguruma (Pushcart): A woman lies on her stomach. A man approaches her from behind, lifts her by the thighs, and penetrates her. She supports her upper body with her hands on the floor.

18 Tachi Hanabishi (Upright Flower Petals): A woman lies on her back with a pillow under her lower back. Squarely facing her genitals, a man performs cunnilingus on her.

19 Mukudori (Starling): The 69 position with a man on top. Also known as "Tomoe-Dori" (Ying-Yang Bird).

20 Yabusame (Shooting from the Saddle): A woman straddles a man lying down on his back. One end of the looped rope for the reins is put over the back of the man's neck. Holding onto the reins, the woman lowers herself onto him, and rides him.

21 Shigarami (Constraint): A woman lies on her back with her legs closed. A man mounts the woman and embraces her face-to-face. Their legs are entwined at the ankles.

22 Tachi Kanae (Tripod): A man and woman stand facing each other. The man scoops up one of her legs, and proceeds to penetrate her. Also known as "Semigake" (Cicada on the Tree), "Koi-No-Takinobori" (Carp Swimming Up the Waterfall), or "Tachi Dori" (Doing it Standing Up).

23 Kiku Ichi Monji (Horizontal Chrysanthemum): A woman lies on her back with her legs spread wide apart. Facing her, a man lies on his side with his body at a right angle to hers. The woman places her legs over the man's shoulder and thigh.

24 Hokake Chausu (Sailboat Tea-Grinding Mill): A man sits with his legs stretched out. A woman sits opposite the man, places her hips onto him, and spreads her legs wide apart. The man puts both hands under either her lower back or leg, and draws her to him. Also known as "Suwari Chausu" (Sitting Tea-Grinding Hand Mill).

25 Dakiage (Lift-Up): A woman lies on her belly with both her arms and legs stretched. A man approaches her from behind on his knees, and lifts her by the thighs while she supports her upper body with her hands on the floor.

26 Teko Kagari (Lever Stitching): A woman lies on her back. A man mounts her backward.

27 Chidori (Plover): A woman lies on her back, and folds her legs under herself as if she were sitting. A man places himself on top of her and mounts her.

28 Rihi Shirazu (Whether Right or Wrong): A woman's hands and legs are tied with ropes. A man stands on his knees, holds her bent knees.

29 Kotatsu Gakure (Underneath the Quilt): A man and woman sit face-to-face. They lean back, and support themselves with their hands on the floor. Their legs are entwined so as to achieve full penetration. All this supposedly goes on underneath a Kotatsu, a low table covered by a quilt.

30 Butsudan Gaeshi (Bottom of the Altar): A woman stands and leans forward till her hands touch the floor. A man penetrates her from behind. Also known as "Ushiro Yagura" (Back of the Tower), which can be another variation on the stand-up position, or "Oh Watashi" (Grand Crossing).

31 Hiyodori Goe No Saka Otoshi (Plunging down the Cliff): A woman lies on her stomach. Approaching her from behind, a man lifts her by the legs, and puts them over his shoulders. Holding her upside down, he performs cunnilingus on her.

32 Shishimai (Lion Dance): Facing each other, a man and woman sit with their legs extended. The man lifts her legs so that they are spread wide on his shoulders.

33 Goban Zeme (Assault on the Chessboard): A woman stands leaning forward, and puts her hands on a low table for support. A man penetrates her from behind.

34 Midare Botan (Nutty Peony): A woman straddles a seated man with her back against him. The man scoops her up by the thighs and spreads her legs wide apart.

35 Futatsu Domoe (Ying-Yang): The 69 position with a woman on top, or both of them on their side. Also known as "Sakasa Mukudori" (Upside-Down Starling), or "Nicho-Date" (Double).

36 Ukihashi (Float Bridge): A woman lies on her side. A man places himself behind her, sits squarely, and holds the woman across his lap. The woman's body that sways precariously on the man's lap becomes a float bridge.

37 Karigakubi (Gooseneck): A man lies on his back, and a woman performs fellatio on him.

38 Shime Komata (Tight Number): A woman lies on her back with her legs closed. A man mounts the woman, and embraces her face-to-face. Their ankles are entwined. This position is different from "Constraint" (Shigarami) in that the man's upper body is kept away from the woman's.

39 Matsuba Kuzushi (Crisscross Pine Needles): A woman lies on her back. A man stands on his knees, straddles one of her legs and lifts up her other leg.

40 Chidori No Kyoku (Song of the Plover): A man lies on his back. His stretched out body is compared to a steel guitar. A woman, the player, kneels over him, performs fellatio on him, and caresses him with her hands.

41 Mado No Tsuki (Moon in the Window): A woman lies on her side while a man penetrates her from behind with his front pressed against her back. This position enables the two to enjoy viewing the moon in the window together as they face the same direction. Also known as "Kake Kuzure" (Pushing from Behind).

42 Chausu Nobashi (Stretched Tea-Grinding Mill): A man lies on his back with both his legs stretched out. Facing the man, a woman lays herself on top of him with her legs closed, and stretched straight.

43 Iwashimizu (Mountain Spring): A man lies on his back. A woman squarely squats on his face.

44 Uguisu No Tani Watari (Warbler in Flight): A woman lies on her back. A man orally pleasures her thoroughly.

45 Yorisoi (Cuddling): A woman lies on her back. Facing her, a man lies on his side, lets the woman rest her head on his arm, and gently caresses her body.

46 Kotatsu Kagari (Under the Table): A woman straddles a seated man with her back against him. To help her gain balance, the woman puts her hands on a Kotatsu, a low table covered by a quilt.

47 Takara Bune (Treasure Boat): A man lies on his back. A woman straddles him, lifts one of his legs, and holds onto it while she humps him.

48 Honkoma Gake (Authentic Horseback Riding): A man sits up with his upper body slightly leaning back, and his hands on the floor. His extended legs are bent at the knees. A woman straddles him with her back against him. Holding onto the man's knees, she is now ready to take a joy ride.

Shijuhatte means 48 hands for its literal translation. In most widely known sense, Shijuhatte denotes 48 sexual positions. Also known as Edo Shijuhatte, this Japanese rendition of Kama Sutra, if you will, was developed and popularized in the Edo period (1603-1868).
At the outset, Shijuhatte is said to refer not only to sexual positions and/or sexual foreplays, but also to stories of romance.

As commerce flourished during the Edo period, the cultural values were redefined, and Chonin, the merchant class gradually gained economic power. And, a new urban culture developed. Shunga, a form of Ukiyoe*, is one of utmost symbolic art form developed in this period, reflecting the new Chonin culture. Ukiyoe* is one of the most well-known Japanese arts worldwide.

Ukiyoe sought to express the aesthetics of everyday life. Deriving from Ukiyoe, a coherent theme of Shunga is to articulate the maximum of the sexual mores of everyday people in the widest variety of forms as well as an extensive range of fetishes.
Shijuhatte, unsurprisingly, is most frequently recognized in Shunga.

Characters depicted on Shunga includes heterosexual, homosexual, old, young, and rich & poor. Many acclaimed Ukiyoe artists earning their places in history, drew Shunga in their careers, which did not detract from their prestige as artists.