Dakimakura vs Body Pillow: What Is the Difference?

If you have shopped for a long pillow, you have probably run into two words for what looks like the same thing. Someone searching for a custom body pillow and someone searching for a custom dakimakura often want very similar things, but the terms come from different places. Here is the honest breakdown.

What a body pillow is

A body pillow is the generic term for a long pillow you hug or tuck between your legs while sleeping. Standard ones usually land around 50x137 cm and come with a plain cover, solid colors or simple patterns. It is a comfort and support product first, sold in the bedding aisle.

What a dakimakura is

A dakimakura is the Japanese take on the same idea. Classically it runs a little longer, 50x150 or 50x160 cm, and the thing that really sets it apart is the cover. Instead of a plain fabric, a dakimakura cover is printed with character art, usually one design on each side. The word literally points to a hugging pillow, but in practice it means the printed-cover style with its own fan culture behind it.

Is a dakimakura just a body pillow?

Honestly, yes and no. Same function: it is a long pillow you hug. The real differences come down to two things.

• Size: dakimakura tend to be a bit longer than a standard body pillow, though both vary.
• Cover: a body pillow cover is plain, a dakimakura cover is printed with art.
• Culture: dakimakura carry the anime and character fandom side, body pillows are marketed as generic bedding.

So a dakimakura is a body pillow with a printed cover and usually a longer cut. If you know one term but not the other, you now know they overlap more than they differ.

Where a custom print fits

This is the part that makes the naming almost irrelevant for me. When you make a custom dakimakura here, you upload your own art, pick a size, and choose a fabric. You are not locked into the classic 50x160. My sizes run from 34x100 cm all the way up to 60x180 cm, so you can put any art on a smaller pillow or a full-length one.

You also pick the cover fabric. Peachskin is soft and budget-friendly with good color, and 2way is stretchier with a smoother feel and a bit more give. Both take the print well.

Whether you call it a body pillow or a dakimakura, if you have artwork you love, you can see it printed on the size that fits your bed. Try the customizer and upload your art to get started.