Dakimakura

A dakimakura (抱き枕^?) (from daki (抱き^?) "to embrace or cling" and makura (枕^?) "pillow"), is a type of large pillow from Japan. The word is often translated in English simply as "hug pillow" but more commonly known as a "body pillow". In Japan, dakimakura are similar to Western orthopedic body pillows, and are commonly used by Japanese youth as "security objects".

In the East, "dakimakura" is associated with a love pillow. Love pillows are a subset of dakimakura usually portraying life-size pictures of anime characters. Some pillows may portray anime characters or pornographic film actors in suggestive poses.

During the 1990s, dakimakura began to intertwine with otaku culture, leading to the production of pillow covers featuring printed images of bishōjo and bishonen from various anime or bishōjo games. Many of these early otaku dakimakura covers were released through Cospa, a character goods and apparel store which continues to release official dakimakura covers to this day.

Although sometimes called a "Dutch wife", the original definition of this phrase is closer to the chikufujin, or "bamboo wife".

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