The futon's pillow case...

[Xane_MM]

I hope this isn't really unfitting for this forum, but I've noticed something in pictures of older AC games' beds, and it's still in New Horizons, so hopefully this is relevant.

In previous Animal Crossing games, the standard beds had pillows that were colored on the outside but white in the middle. In New Horizons, those pillows are no longer on the wooden beds but are still used for futons:

I'm now wondering if this is some kind of strange pillow case type I've never heard of. I know of pillow cases with one side open, but not both like this. It could be a pillow with a design on it, but @Holla's Sailor Moon GIF in her signature shows the white part as a separate raised part, meaning that's the pillow case. Is there a name for this type of case which I've only seen there and in Animal Crossing games?

 

[Serabee]

...Huh. I've never seen a pillowcase like that IRL, either.

Maybe it's a Japanese thing? The pillowcases I'm used to are open on one side, and fully cover the entire pillow. But if it's both AC games AND an anime, I'm guessing it might be some sort of Japanese style.

EDIT: I Googled "Japanese pillow" and (after sorting through anime and Japanese art inspired pillow cases) found the takamakura pillow, which can look kind of similar:

Though the in-game one lacks the stand, of course. But apparently (based on my super scientific Googling) the base was for people with elaborate hair styles, like Geisha.

 

[saucySheep]

uH]
I'm not japanese so i couldn't tell ya

 

[Xane_MM]

...Huh. I've never seen a pillowcase like that IRL, either.

Maybe it's a Japanese thing?

Probably. Anime tends to use Japanese versions of things, or things that aren't as commonly used in...at least the US. For example, Your Lie in April's Yamaha Pianica P-32D melodica, which is commonly used and required to learn in their school system, and Hugtto! Pretty Cure's Pigeon MagMag baby mug (yes, I own that). Anime and games using a different pillow case style wouldn't seem out of place knowing that.

The pillowcases I'm used to are open on one side, and fully cover the entire pillow.

Same, that's the kind I use. It's probably more reliable than a pillow case with both sides open like that, so it's more for curiosity than actually using the pillow case type in Animal Crossing.

EDIT: I Googled "Japanese pillow" and (after sorting through anime and Japanese art inspired pillow cases) found the takamakura pillow, which can look kind of similar:

(image!)

Though the in-game one lacks the stand, of course.

Whoa, that already seems close to that pillow case style, just a bit more traditional than what looks like the standard pillow case but with both sides open.

 

[Serabee]

Whoa, that already seems close to that pillow case style, just a bit more traditional than what looks like the standard pillow case but with both sides open.

Yah, it might be a more modern version? But that was the best pic I could find.
But I enjoy Googling stuff like this, lol

 

[Aurita]

Takamakura usually refers to the wooden part that elevates the head to keep geisha’s hair in place longer! The pillow on top is the sobagara and maybe that’s it? Usually you put a cloth over the sobagara (usually like a squareish round pillow) and tuck in the bottom to keep the pillow free from hair oils and sweat

 

[Serabee]

Takamakura usually refers to the wooden part that elevates the head to keep geisha’s hair in place longer! The pillow on top is the sobagara and maybe that’s it? Usually you put a cloth over the sobagara (usually like a squareish round pillow) and tuck in the bottom to keep the pillow free from hair oils and sweat

Ah, okay! I didn't know that. I saw "sobagara" and I searched it, but I didn't see the cloths you put over them. Only regular looking pillows. Bui that makes more sense!
...Yah, my Google searching is fun and interesting, but not the most comprehensive research

 

[Xane_MM]

The pillow on top is the sobagara and maybe that’s it?

Oh my. Maybe that's what it is, because when searching for that, this is one of the images, which has the colored outside and white inside, just like in the games (and Sailor Moon)!

EDIT: OH YES.

 

[Aurita]

Ah, okay! I didn't know that. I saw "sobagara" and I searched it, but I didn't see the cloths you put over them. Only regular looking pillows. Bui that makes more sense!
...Yah, my Google searching is fun and interesting, but not the most comprehensive research

Here’s an example of a modern one!

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/oyasumi/321-000002-12/

 

[Serabee]

Here’s an example of a modern one!

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/oyasumi/321-000002-12/

Yep, that's definitely looks right!
...And now we now what they're made of, too

 

[Xane_MM]

I must say, thank you both for showing me what the "mysterious pillow case" (which I now know is a whole different pillow too) is! Now I know that as usual, it's a Japanese version, like the anime examples I gave. It's kinda neat how Japan-made things lead to finding out about their culture and versions of things.