Whip it good

At the end of a vacant, echoey hallway stood a fragile Japanese woman with porcelain skin and innocuous eyes. She was bundled in a heavy winter coat, wrapping her arms around her petite waist to keep warm. The attire beneath the wool proved that looks can be deceiving. Red lingerie and black leather ornamented Mistress Umeko Edgoawa, Asian dominatrix. She’s originally from Japan, where she studied science and lived in a “strict and conservative” household. Just two years ago, she found a job that stimulates the mind, so to speak. Mistress Umeko whips, spanks, ties and humiliates for $150 an hour, and loves every minute of it.

What exactly do you do?

Slave training, feminization, punishment, S&M. Things like whipping, spanking and cross-dressing.

How did you get started?

I started doing punishment two years ago. My boyfriend asked me to spank him. I hadn’t done that before. Neither had he. It was the first time for both of us. Not with a whip, but with my hand on his butt. It was pleasurable. I liked it and he liked it very much.

Do you enjoy your job?

Very much. I’m very happy to see a man while I’m hurting him. It is very pleasurable.

What kind of person likes to be dominated?

Mostly supervisors, white-collar, white males come to me. Usually very dominant and have authority in their jobs. They’re not dominant with me but in the other parts in their lives. Usually people that dominate in their jobs, like supervisors. Ones that order people to do things in their jobs. Almost always men. But also women, couples, bisexual people, gays. Some people need humiliation. They need punishment. I can say things that will make them feel bad, mentally.

Do you like to be dominated?

No, I’m totally sadistic. I like to hurt others but don’t like it myself.

Have you ever hurt anyone badly?

No, I’m very gentle. No marks.

What’s the most bizarre thing anyone has asked you to do?

One man asked me to give him my defecation, my extraction. He just called yesterday. He needed my stuff. He didn’t want to watch me, but wants to take it home.

Is there anything you won’t do?

I can’t do a golden shower because of the office I work at. One guy asked me to bite his penis but I wouldn’t do that either.

Does anyone ever ask for sex?

Yes, but no way. I won’t cross the border. No blow jobs, no sex.

Describe a typical day.

I go to the gym in the morning to keep my shape. I watch CNBC to keep up with the stock exchange. I watch CNN. I practice piano. I am going to make my own Web site, and have been working on that.

And your hour-long sessions?

I have a routine. First I let them bow to me. I show them I have the authority. They understand I am the mistress and they must obey me. I wear a leather outfit, g-strings, boots. I change into heels and make them shine my shoes and kiss my heel. I tease them. I don’t let them touch me. I humiliate them. I measure their size. I make them wear women’s panties. I sometimes have them wear some of my underwear. I use whips on them but not too hard. It’s like lifting weights. Your muscles hurt, but not too bad. It’s a good kind of pain.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I can achieve an orgasm through the brain. Not like genital stimulation. I can achieve one when spanking a man. When I finish whipping him, my body starts to shake. It’s hard to explain. It’s very unusual. You cannot achieve that state from a regular sexual interaction.

What kind of props do you use?

I have a bamboo stick I use, a flogger, a leather flap. I get it in San Francisco. I wear a hat during the session. I sometimes tie men up with ropes. Tie their hands, tie their legs. Or I put them on a leash. I make them drink water like a dog.

Has a man ever wanted to switch roles?

Some men are sadomasochistic. They want to play both roles. But I don’t let them.

Has anyone ever been forceful?

They have tried, but I say no, no, no. Sometimes they ask, can you do this? Can you do that? I am in control. I won’t do things that their ex-mistresses or their ex-ancient-girlfriends did. I am not a substitute. I am Mistress Umeko. There is nobody else like me. I found Mistress Umeko inside of me. I never trained from anybody. It’s all from my inside. I can’t be anybody else.

Do you think this is common?

I think so. I think everyone has a fantasy about being dominated or dominating another. But they are afraid.

How many people do you see per day?

Up to two per day. But I do hypnotherapy during the day. Sexual hypnotherapy. Like I help find out sexual problems—impotence, premature ejaculations, penis enlargement. I like to know how come? Why do people, like me, like S&M? I can’t tell you right now why. The answer is inside, but I have not found the answer. Before, I felt like I was in a dark tunnel, and I couldn’t see the answer. But now, the light is coming brighter and closer.