Hinamatsuri Pikachu kimono couple plushie on the way to celebrate Japan’s Doll Festival【Photos】

Hina ningyo get the plush Pokémon treatment.

The Japanese celebration called Hinamatsuri is known by a few different names in English, including “Girls’ Day” and “the Doll Festival.” Those alternate monikers came about because Hinamatsuri is celebrated by households with daughters, and the primary tradition is decorating a part of the home with dolls of a couple (sometimes described as an empress and emperor) dressed in exquisite kimono, often accompanied by tiers of attendants, as a symbol of future prosperity and happiness.

▼ Hinamatsuri dolls

Generally speaking, the aesthetic for Hinamatsuri dolls, or Hina ningyo, as they’re called in Japanese, is more elegant than cute. This being Japan, though, there’s always at least one adorable option on the table, and this year Pikachu Hinamatsuri dolls are on the way!

Officially, the above-pictured pair are called the Pikachu Hinamatsuri Plushie, by nature of their stuffed animal form. They’re meant to be used the same way as Hinamatsuri dolls, though, and they’re dressed in classical finery.

While they’re cute enough to make fans squeal with glee when viewed from any distance, go in for a closer look and you’ll spot some other Pocket Monster species who’re present and a few other clever design cues. The two-tone background behind the Pikachu pair, for example, is a Poké Ball motif. And those auspicious cherry blossoms blooming on it? One of them is actually a Cherrim!

▼ Note, however, that this is simply the rear view with each Pikachu’s outer ear sticking out, and not a Jigglypuff.

While the Pikachu Hinamatsuri Plushie’s exact dimensions haven’t been released, the designers say that its compact-enough size makes it easy to display in your room, and the soft material means less worry about damaging the kimono-clad couple should you accidentally knock them over than with traditional Hinamatsuri dolls, which can sometimes cost several tens of thousands of yen (hundreds of U.S. dollars). Also not yet announced is the Pikachu Hinamatsuri Plushie’s price, but judging by the price of other Pokémon plushies in Japan, odds are it’ll end up somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 yen (US$25), though we won’t know for sure until it goes on sale through the Pokémon Center Online e-store on January 30 or at physical Pokémon Center locations on February 1.

Related: Pokémon Center Online
Source: Pokémon official website
Top image: Pokémon official website
Insert images: Pakutaso, Pokémon official website
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