Have you heard of the term kigurumi? When we search the internet, we come across various onesies, costumes, and pajamas of animal characters or cartoons. In this article, we will investigate and analyze everything about kigurumi in depth.
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What does Kigurumi mean?
Kigurumi is a Japanese word derived from the ideograms [着] which means to wear (ki) combined with the word [縫いぐるみ] which means stuffed animals (nuigurumi). The readings “Ki” and “Gurumi” come together to form [着包み].
The Japanese word sounds somewhat literal like “wearing a cute animal” or “wearing an animal costume.” It can refer to both the act of wearing and the costume.
So, basically, the term kigurumi refers to any costume with characteristics of a stuffed bear, which mostly refers to pajamas or cosplay costumes for anime events.
What is kigurumi? What is it for?
Kigurumis were initially designed for performers and are most often found in theme parks. The Japanese also love mascots, every city in Japan has a mascot.
Kigurumis are also classified as a form of cosplay. In some cases, a mask is used instead of a hood, featuring the character’s head. Often, there are plush character heads called Ahegao.
Nowadays, kigurumi, besides being a costume for events and performances, has become a very popular type of pajama for sleeping, especially in colder regions.
What is the difference between kigurumi and onesie?
Both garments are made from cotton, wool, terrycloth, satin, and sometimes flannel. Kigurumis are custom-made as costumes and are primarily used during performances or in theme parks.
Onesies are initially designed as sleepwear and offer simpler styles and patterns. Kigurumis are detailed, often colorful and eye-catching, and are available in various designs, from cartoons, anime characters, and cute animals.
Often, Western onesies tend to be thinner and cooler, not as fluffy and filled as kigurumi. Doing an image search on the internet, you will notice the differences.
Parts of the kigurumi
Kigurumi can be any clothing with a fluffy and comfortable texture, often resembling a human plush doll. What differentiates Japanese animal pajamas from Western cute onesies are often the styles and characters.
A kigurumi pajama generally consists of just one piece with a hood and animal ears. There are costumes that separate the lower part, upper part, and head.
Usually, the footwear is slipper-style; some people wear undergarments, while others need to fill the costume to achieve the correct volume. Of course, this applies only to performers and not to children looking for pajamas to sleep in.
Kigurumi Mask and Animegao
Unlike pajamas, kigurumi costumes can be accompanied by a mask called Animegao. It is basically the face of the anime character made of plush to fit any head.
The characters that use masks are usually female and human. Of course, not considering all the mascots of companies, cities, and stores in Japan, or animal characters from games and anime. It is just uncommon to wear the mask with a plush animal pajama for sleeping.
It may be common for animal costumes to have a plush head, but it ends up looking quite strange for anime characters. So strange that there are memes, fetishes, and internet channels focused on Ahegao.
Many anime kigurumi artists use this mask to avoid exposing their own identity and to always stay in character. Generally, these costumed artists do not usually speak and only use gestures or act like the character.
What is the History and Origin of Kigurumi?
Kigurumi animal onesies first appeared in Japan in the late 90s, created by a company known as SAZAC. It quickly became a staple of Shibuya and Harajuku culture and fashion, remaining an iconic part of Japanese street style.
There are reports of animal onesies being used even before World War II, but in Japan, its history may be even older. There are historical precedents dating back to 1600.
In the famous Kabuki Theater, some artists instead of elaborate makeup, simply wore kabuki masks, some of cute and exotic creatures like ghosts and oni.
Another ancient art that may have inspired kigurumi is the Japanese puppet theater called Bunraku, where puppeteers dressed all in black and wore puppet masks that were meters tall.
Are kigurumi popular?
In the West, these cute animal onesies known as kigurumi often go unnoticed, but in Japan, they have been part of the cultural mainstream for over 25 years among children, teenagers, and even adults.
Between 1999 and 2004, kigurumi became an underground trend in the Americas and Europe. Over time and with the popularity of anime in the West, this trend became increasingly strong, especially at anime events.
Where to Buy Kigurumi?
Quality Kigurumi costumes need to be imported from another country, as their price can be quite high and their quality questionable in the West. Just like stuffed animals, plush animal costumes are also expensive, starting at around 50 dollars. It is possible to find animal onesies for as low as 20 dollars.
The best place to buy Kigurumi is on Aliexpress, where you can find different stores, different products, and different prices for your plush pajamas. We recommend using the link below to access the store, thus helping the site earn a small percentage.
How to wash kigurumi?
If you are washing your Kigurumi for the first time, we recommend using the gentlest setting on your washing machine with cold water and any laundry detergent.
This is to keep the fluffy wool, protect the details on the face, and prevent fading. For subsequent washes, the color should be set, and you can use warm water if desired. Fabric softener is optional.
When drying, we recommend hanging it up, but it may take days to dry completely. You can use a dryer, but we recommend using the gentlest and dry setting.
Using a very hot temperature can shrink your costume. If possible, dry it a bit in the machine and hang it for as long as possible.
Since it is made of cotton plush, you will likely encounter pilling on your costume. The best thing to do is to buy an accessory capable of removing these pills.
Kigurumi is also a J-POP band
Kigurumi is also a famous J-pop band from Japan that debuted in 2006 with the duo Rena Shimura and Haruka. Later, two new members, Miki and Kei, joined the band in 2007.
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