nagomimakuri collection: in memory of Gong Gong

 Nagomimakuri Collection

 I mentioned several months ago in a previous post about my love for Nagomimakuri and how it all started. For those of you who didn't read it, it was my Gong Gong (grandfather) who bought me my first Nago and it's the only tangible item he ever bought me. For this reason, this character has great sentimental value to me.

Gong Gong's Nagomimakuri

As you can see, she's been through quite a bit. She's dirty, is missing her tags and has been attacked by just about every dog my family has ever own. Yet she continues to smile as if nothing had ever happened to her! What a trooper. 

Side View

She's also wearing a leaf on the side of her head. Remembering everything she's been through, I'm surprised that she doesn't have any rips and tears in her and that her leaf is still firmly attached.

Tag

Her tag features a top view of her, legs sprayed and all. What I've noticed is that, none of the other Nagos I have have the same tag, making her even more special and unique. She definitely needs a good cleaning. Her fabric is similar to that of a soft towel and even after all the crap that's been thrown at her, she's still quite soft. I actually find her softer than most of my new Nagos.

First "New" Nagomimakuri

Fast forward about 15 years later, and this was when I first started getting into Japanese kawaii again. I happened to see this plush a kawaii friend at the time was selling. She was charging an arm and a leg for it and I did hesitate before buying it but at you can see, I bought it anyway. 

I was really happy with this, a new Nagomimakuri to keep Gong Gong's company! I didn't even know they made any more of this character. Her size also made me feel a bit less guilty about shelling out so much money for a plush.

Side View

I also tried to justify the purchase by saying that I'm technically paying for 2 plushes (still crazy expensive though). But she was in excellent condition and I was scared that I'd actually never stumble across another Nagomimakuri plush.

Back View

Close Up

 Bottled Nagomimakuris

I've managed to find the rest of the Nagomimakuris via Yahoo! Japan Auctions. These ones are bottled Nagomimakuris and I couldn't believe they actually existed! It's an adorable idea but at the same time, it's a little sad. Who would trap Nagomimakuris in a bottle!?

The bottle Nagos all come with moss (?). The white one to the far left is perched on top of a moss-like thing and looks perfectly content. The blue Nago in the middle comes with two fluffy balls of moss that can be moved around to your liking and the last one to the right is sitting on top of a pile of moss also. 

Bottom View

The bottom of the right white one looks a bit like a screen cleaner or something though while the one to the left is just a plush.

Bottle Designs

This is what the bottle looks like. It has cute Nagomimakuri designs all over it. The bottle for the one on the far right is different from the other ones, I think the person who listed it on the auctions probably lost the original bottle and just shoved in another random bottle, hehe.

White Nagomimakuri with Flower

This one has a beautiful large flower on her head and she's made out of the same material as Gong Gong's Nagomimakuri. She has the trademark Nago smile algo.

Side View

Flower & Tags

This one came with her tag attached and I noticed that it says, "BIG." I think this one and like many o the other Nagomimakuri plushes I have are all UFO catcher prizes. I remember seeing that one most of the Nago listings. It must've been awesome to be able to have these cuties are prizes! I'd totally go broke trying to win them all. 

Little Nagomimakuris

I think these two originally came in a bottle and two little moss balls. I had won a listing for 3 bottled Nagos and it also came in pink and green (in addition to the blue one). But I sold those two off since I had these two.

Arial View

I like that they changed the design very slightly between the these two. The green one has a flower and a leaf on its head while the pink only has a leaf. I wonder if the pink ever gets jealous that she doesn't have a pretty flower but being pink, she's quite pretty already.

Tags

Remember the tag on Gong Gong's Nago? It doesn't anything like these ones. These are much simpler and all my other Nagos have tush tags like this. I like that the colours on the tags are different from the Nago's actual colour though.

Sparkly Nagomimakuris

But what's this? I have more Nagomimakuris?! You're darn right! I seriously love the designs on these 3. Beautiful pale colours and they each have a sparkly flower on their heads.

Sparkly Flower

Back View

Fabric

Believe it or not, the fabric on these 3 isn't soft at all. It's actually pretty rough and they have a crusty consistency to it. But they're nice to look at, just not to touch.

Tags

I think they're supposed to be angel Nagomimakuris or something based on looking at the tag. They have little wings on their back. I always think of them as fairies.

Baby Nagomimakuri

I also have this itty bitty baby Nago. It came as a gift with one of the Nagomimakuris I had ordered from Japan. I've always wanted to attach it to one of my bags but I keep getting paranoid that I'd lose it so it's just been sitting on my room since.

Back View

Nagomimakuri Book!

Wahahahaha, I still have more Nagomimakuri stuff! I didn't think this character would be popular enough to have it's on little book but it does!

The text and the little dots on the cover are actually rainbowed colours and reflect light. I tried to capture it through a picture but didn't do a good job of it. Just use your imagination.

Inside the book, there's a double-sided pamphlet that shows a lot of pictures of Nagomimakuri and a lot of text. Beats me what it says though, just enjoy the cute pictures.

I won't show you every page of the book, because I've have about 50 more pictures to post (and it's already becoming a long post) but here's a little sample.

RIP Gong Gong

Last but not least, here's the very man that bought me my first and only Nagomimakuri, my beloved Gong Gong. It wasn't until many years later that I was able to find more to keep my first company. This photo was probably taken about 7 or 8 years ago in Niagara Falls. I had this very photo in my office when I was working and I'll be bringing it to my next office also. I can't believe it's already been 5 years since his passing and I miss him every day. But seeing my Nagomimakuri(s) always brings a smile to my face since I'm always reminded of my grandfather. They're also always so darn happy (*^▽^*).

Nagomimakuris with my Gong Gong

I wanted to dedicate this post to my Gong Gong since if it weren't for him, I probably would've never encountered this adorable Nagomimakuri. I haven't seen any other collectors with Nagomimakuri plushes except for the lady I bought the dual Nagomimakuri from. Asides from that, I haven't seen any other collector with them. RIP Gong Gong, thank you for all your love and the wonderful memories. I miss you every day and wish you were still with us but I know you're watching over us, not missing a single moment.