Daifuku-yama - The Pillow Packed with Love

March 1, 2023

Cuteness is Worldwide

In January of Reiwa 5, foreign visitors started returning to the sumo tournaments.

At the official merchandise store, where sumo elders served customers, the most popular item among foreign visitors was...

The Daifuku-yama抱き枕 (body pillow), which is also featured in SuMALL's key visuals.

"I bought it because I wanted to be comforted by its cuteness" (USA)

"I'm taking it home as a birthday present for myself" (Mexico)

Some groups even bought one each to take home.

Seeing how popular it was not only with foreigners but also with children, Mihogaseki-oyakata, who was involved in its development and also works at the store, said:

"It makes me happy to see people actually buying it."

Frankly, I was unsure if it would sell at first.

However, there were initial concerns during development.

Mihogaseki-oyakata recalled, "I don't buy these kinds of dolls myself, so I was worried. But after seeing the designer's dedication, I decided to go ahead with the launch."

Four samples were made before the launch, and it took about two years to complete.

The person who put so much time and effort into making the product, with such meticulous attention to detail, was Mimi Nishino, a sumo-loving designer who had watched sumo with her grandfather since childhood.

Regarding the inspiration for the development, Nishino-san said, "I heard that sumo wrestlers lie down flat on the cold floor for a nap after practice, so I wondered if I could make a body pillow out of it."

"There are sumo wrestlers with black cheeks, and they usually sleep face down with their hands as a pillow. That's how calluses form on their cheeks," Mihogaseki-oyakata explained.

After hearing this, Nishino-san changed the original posture of having both hands down to one where the hands could be used as a pillow by adding Velcro to them.

To make it even more like a real sumo wrestler, Mihogaseki-oyakata laughed and said, "Daifuku-yama's cheeks are pink, but I initially asked for them to be black. But it didn't look cute when they were black, so they ended up pink."

Nishino-san was particular not only about the napping posture but also about the choice of material.

"The fabric of the first sample was thin, like stockings, so the color of the material underneath showed through and looked strange... We tried various things, such as layering two pieces of fabric, to keep it close to the skin color of a sumo wrestler."

Since development began in the summer, the initial fabric was a cool-touch material. However, as the seasons changed during trial and error, they switched to a fluffy fabric for winter, finally settling on the current satisfactory material.

Regarding the form, Mihogaseki-oyakata recalled receiving feedback from customers at the time:

"There was feedback from fans saying, 'I want to touch a sumo wrestler's belly' or 'I want to sleep with their belly as a pillow.' We, as people who provide sumo, wouldn't know, though."

Nishino-san incorporated that sentiment into the design.

"The belly and buttocks are rounder than in the first sample, and the legs are as short as possible. The face isn't directly to the side, but at about a 45-degree angle, which is also a key detail," Nishino-san explained.

Difficult to Recreate

When Nishino-san saw the first sample doll, she was surprised.

"It looked like underwear, not a mawashi (sumo belt)."

Nishino-san recalled that it was difficult to convey how to tie and shape the mawashi to the factory that was producing the samples based on the design plans.

To accurately reproduce how a real sumo wrestler ties their mawashi, Nishino-san not only researched it herself but also consulted with Mihogaseki-oyakata and relayed the information to the factory.

Mihogaseki-oyakata also advised on the position of the mawashi.

"Just like real sumo wrestlers, the mawashi is properly positioned below the navel."

The mawashi, meticulously crafted in terms of how it's tied and positioned, is purple.

"It's the color of the [Japan Sumo] Association, and it's a color only sekitori (high-ranking wrestlers) can wear, so you might get a sense of Daifuku-yama's rank."

The Scent of a Sumo Wrestler Hidden in the Topknot

The scent of a sumo wrestler emanates from the topknot.

"Before selling body pillows, we sold lip balm and hand cream that recreated the scent of bintsuke oil. So, I thought, why not add the scent of bintsuke oil to the body pillow's topknot? I think many people would find it soothing if the body pillow had a gentle sumo-like scent when they hug it to sleep," said the oyakata.

The scent of bintsuke oil is expressed with a vanilla fragrance.

By hiding a removable scent sachet in the topknot, a body pillow that smells like a sumo wrestler was completed.

Decision Made After Seeing Children's Reactions

Since Mihogaseki-oyakata doesn't buy body pillows himself, he decided to place a sample in the kids' room at Kokugikan to observe their reactions for research purposes.

Daifuku-yama immediately became a big hit with the children.

"I was so happy to see the children hugging it and saying it was cute," said Nishino-san.

Mihogaseki-oyakata said, "The children's drool and such made it very dirty. But since they played with it so much," he decided to commercialize it.

We Want People to Feel Closer to Sumo with Healing Character Goods

"When people hear 'sumo,' some might think it's a bit intimidating or has a rigid image. But actually, there are many goods like this that can make you feel closer to it.

I hope that by using the Daifuku-yama body pillow every day, people can feel closer to sumo," Mihogaseki-oyakata said while stroking Daifuku-yama's back.

Nishino-san shared her thoughts, "I would be very happy if those who bought the body pillow kept it close as a comforting item and continued to use it."

A popular SuMALL product, filled with the dedication of Mihogaseki-oyakata and Nishino-san.

Why not experience the comfort of Daifuku-yama in your own home?

【Pre-order】Body Pillow Daifuku-yama – Sumo Shopping Mall SuMALL (sumo.or.jp)