Cosplay Shopper Blog

What Is Kigurumi

A type of cosplay that employs a full body suit, similar to a fur suit. It is most commonly used with animal costumes but can also be worn to emulate people, mechs, mascots, etc. Kigurumi are dressed in character from head to toe. They usually wear masks that encompass their entire head rather than just their face. Characters like Mickey Mouse from Disneyland and Barney from Barney the Dinosaur are referred to as Kigurumi in Japan.

Kigurumi is a part of Japanese culture, which represents performing people who dress up like popular cartoon characters. The word is actually a combination of the Japanese words kiru (to wear) and nuigurumi (stuffed toy). Often seen in places like anime conventions, theme parks and even shopping malls, a kigurumi costume always adds to the festivity of the occasion. Even from American culture, things like football mascots and Winnie the Pooh can be worn and considered kigurumi suits. There is no limit, in fact, to the amount of things a kigurumi costume can be. Their range often includes:

  • Pikachu
  • Hello Kitty
  • Winnie the Pooh
  • Anime characters
  • Animals

In addition to kigurumi, another piece Japanese culture is known as kigurumi cosplay. Like kigurumi, cosplay is centered mostly around Japanese pop culture but does also pull from some American fiction as well. A combination of the words “costume” and “play”, kigurumi cosplay embodies the idea of fantasy and imagination. In choosing a character kigurumi costume, people often switch roles, playing the role of who they want without limitations.

Much of kigurumi cosplay actually revolves around sex appeal and kigurumi costumes can sometimes be revealing or even explicit. The attractiveness of a character is then a leading force in choosing that particular style of kigurumi suit. Other well-known characters one might recognize include:

  • Jack Skellington
  • Stitch (From Lilo and Stitch)
  • Pokemon
  • Anime creatures
  • Disney creations

Though popularity is growing in America, Japanese culture is brimming with fashion culture and lifestyles that include Kigurumi. Even in Europe, the Japanese hobby/ lifestyle has rubbed off and has a strong following. As time continues, cultures started to take their own paths and now there are key differences between them.

In Japan, a kigurumi suit was initially widely used in staged anime shows. Shows that included Sailor Moon and Digimon, for example. As kigurumi spread to the West, more and more options for what made an acceptable kigurumi costume presented themselves. This led to the flourishing culture that is now enjoyed all over the world, east and west.

Inspiration for kigurumi masks and costumes originating in Japan are a main source of inspiration and can be traced back by today’s kigurumi participants. Of course, as the culture spread and grew, more “mask makers” (as they are known) got involved in the culture and contribute to what it is today. Following the timeline, there are key months in the infant stages of kigurumi cosplay in which costumes began to evolve. The masks, which started out looking like masquerade masks evolved into the anime characters we see today. From there, the theme spread from anime into basically all forms of fictional cartoon characters and mascots that loving fans enjoy dressing up as.

Fans all over the world now and will continue to enjoy the recreational festivities that go along with dressing up in a kigurumi pajamas. The fun and exciting culture has been embraced by many and is growing annually in places like Europe and America. Surely, new ideas and new character possibilities will keep kigurumi alive and thriving for many years to come and people everywhere, young and old will be able to enjoy the culture and all its imaginative fun.