“Cotton Kids” in everything but name.
A few years back Japan’s Bibi Lab released the Cotton Wife and Cotton Husband. Human-shaped, human-sized huggy pillows, the Cotton Wife and Husband were billed as “life partners for the lonely.”
The ostensible idea was that the Cotton Wife would ease the sorrow of lonely men, and the Cotton Husband would do the same for women. But now it looks like maybe the Cotton Wife and Husband actually had some affection for each other, since Bibi Lab is now selling what are effectively Cotton Kids.
Technically, they’re called Watabito, or “Cotton People,” with the official English description of “Small Friend Body Pillow.” Stuffed with soft cotton and wrapped in a removable, washable cover, they come in three different sizes: the 100-centimeter (39.3-inch) tall sky blue, 90-centimeter pink, and 80-centimeter gray.
Bibi Lab even goes so far as to claim that each has its on personality. The blue model is the Watabito of kindness, with its hue representative of the reassuring, emotionally liberating effect of gazing at the sky or sea.
The pink Watabito, being the color of love, is the affectionate one of the bunch.
And finally, since gray can pair well with just about any other color, the gray Watabito is described as friendly and easy to get along with.
While the Watabito are sold faceless, they come with iron-on decals, so that you can create the expression that best suits your desired style of inanimate companionship.
▼ Watabito ship in plastic bags, and so Bibi Lab recommends taking them out of the packaging and giving them a massage as soon as possible to help fluff up their insides.
In addition to having them keep you company as you sleep, Bibi Lab says the Watabito can be used as pillows, throw cushions, or interior decorations Their inability to speak also makes them great, eminently patient listeners if you just need someone to vent to.
▼ Just don’t expect them to provide you with any life advice other than “Have you tried remaining perfectly motionless for eternity?”
If you could use some of these micronized cotton companions, Watabito can be ordered here from Amazon Japan, with prices ranging from 3,984 to 5,076 yen (US$36-$46), depending on size.
Source: Bibi Lab via IT Media
Images: Bibi Lab