Japan Turns Competitive Pillow Fighting Into An Art Form – Design You Trust

Japan Turns Competitive Pillow Fighting Into An Art Form

Welcome to the sport of competitive pillow fighting, known in Japanese as 枕投げ makura-nage

Since 2013, the All-Japan Pillow Fighting Championships have been held here. Competitive makura-nage was inspired by the kind of pillow fights Japanese children on extended school trips often have when teachers aren’t looking in the large tatami-matted communal rooms of the Japanese inn where they spend the night.

h/t: grapee

The game starts with all five players ‘sleeping’ under kakebuton comforters then leaping to their feet when the whistle is blown, as they grab a pillow and begin the match.

Now, a promotional campaign financed by Ito City’s Office of Tourism and starring group rhythmic gymnast and current television reporter Airi Hatakeyama has given the sport a new glossy veneer.

Hatakeyama demonstrates four representative aspects of the game. With her gymnastic prowess, Hatakeyama leaps in attack, dodges pillows, blocks them with a comforter and cheers with a portable loudspeaker, as the fabric of her undoubtedly lengthened yukata uniform billows dramatically.



If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

The Uncharted and Surreal Worlds of Japanese Artist Yuni Yoshida
Probably, This Is The World’s Most Peaceful Toilet
Please Don’t Step On The Fish! Vietnam’s Unique Flooded Cafe
No Man's Land: Fukushima Exclusion Zone Through The Eyes Of Daredevil Stalker
DEKOCHARI: The Youth of Japan Customise Their Pushbikes in Extreme Ways
Urban Explorer Visits Abandoned Japanese Love Motel Of Naughty Attractions
A Disco Party in the Middle of Africa
People In Japan Are Turning Vibrant Foliage Into Stunning “Fallen Leaf Art”
Stunning Photos Of Afghan Hazara Girls Train In Shaolin Martial Arts For Competitions
Japanese Artist Colors Anime-Inspired Paper Cutouts With Real-World Environments
Human or Machine? Life-Like Android Robots from Japan Show Glimpses of the Future
Very Sharply Defined Rare White Curtain Auroras Seen Over Finland
Photographer Creates Inspiring Pictures Showcase The Splendor Of The Natural World, Using People To Highlight The Beauty And Scale Of These Epic Landscapes
Stunning Photographs From The Inside One Of The Oldest Bank Archives In Europe
Rare Snowfall On The Acropolis In Athens, Greece
"Big In Japan": 30 Times People Traveled To Japan And Realized They’re Too Tall For It
Japanese Designer Crafts Adorably Lifelike Cat Backpack
Beautiful Digital Art Paints the teamLab Forest in Fukuoka with The Colors of Autumn
Train In Japan Decorated With Thousand-Armed Kannon Limbs Hanging From Carriage Ceiling
Japanese Photographer Captures Beautiful Dreamy Landscapes of Kamakura in Infrared
Japanese Painter Uses Blackened Eyes and Expressions to Create Social Commentary
Niagara Falls Freezes Over Again, Produces The Most Breathtaking Scenery
Giant Crystal Cave In Naica, Mexico - The Place Where Superman Was Born
Japanese Artist Creates Stunningly Realistic Pen And Pencil Illustrations