As the nuikatsu or ‘living with stuffed toys’ trend grows in popularity on social media, a Japanese hotel is now offering its guests the possibility to book a separate tiny bed for their cuddly toy.
Travelling with a stuffed toy is gaining in popularity among Gen Z travellers in Japan. Many of them are taking their cuddly toys to restaurants, museums, and even hotels. They can be seen transporting them by hand or even using a special backpack with a transparent window, giving their companion the chance to observe their surroundings.
According to Wang Liufeng, psychology consultant with the Chinese Association for Mental Health, stuffed toys bring their owners some much-needed comfort and companionship. By not judging and always being there, they offer unconditional emotional support.
Aside from taking their cuddly toys on all kinds of adventures, social media users are also posting pictures of their fluffy companions online. For example, one traveller took her two stuffed dog toys on a tour of Europe and shared pictures of them at 18 different tourist spots, while a flight attendant strapped in the stuffed eggplant toy of a woman who put it in the empty seat next to her. And while the trend took off in Japan, Chinese social media users are now also jumping on the bandwagon.
@toyokoinn_official 『#東横INN大阪ドーム前』には私たち（ぬいぐるみ）専用のベッドとガウンがあるみたい！嬉しくていっぱい写真撮っちゃった～！！推し活とかぬい活で泊まるのにぴったりだから、ぬいのみんなにもぜひ泊まってほしいな😊💖（アクスタもベッドで寝れるよ！） 在庫がある場合は、当日のレンタルもOK✨ご希望の際は、フロントにて伝えてね♪ ※ 宿泊料金は客室問わず+300円別途申し受けます。 ※その他注意事項は公式サイトをご覧ください。 フロントぬいは、#東横INN福島駅東口2 ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – 【公式】東横イン
A smart marketing move
The Toyoko Inn Osaka Dome Mae is now trying to enter that new travel-with-your-stuffed-toy market. Since 25 June 2025, guests can reserve a bed and tiny night robe for their so-called nuigurumi cuddly toys while booking a room.
“I thought that if Toyoko Inn has a plan where you can stay with your dog, we should be able to offer something similar for stuffed animals. We’ve kept it to the bare minimum so that stuffed animals can stay with peace of mind at a stable price, just like at Toyoko Inn, and created this set with the idea of a sleepover together in mind,” a representative of the Toyoko Inn who was in charge of the project told the J-Cast News website.
So far, the success of the initiative has been exceeding expectations. Guests as well as people online are enthusiastic about the extra effort and the company is therefore looking to expand the project to other locations soon.
The service costs 300 yen (€1.74) and the overnight gear (bed linen and bath robe) has to be returned at the end of their stay. However, by posting a picture of the scene on social media such as Instagram or TikTok, using the hashtag #推し活なら東横イン (Toyoko Inn is the place to go for your favourite idols), people can receive an extra gift when showing that post at the hotel’s front desk.
