Hokapure (ほかプレ) - Plush Love
- Véronique
- 7 hours ago
- 10 min read
A package from Japan sits on the living room table, and our cat is prowling around it as if she’s already claimed the contents for herself. A while ago, Marvin imported some magazines from Japan featuring a topic I’ve wanted to research more deeply for a long time, and that specific delivery has finally arrived. With Valentine's Day coming up, the timing couldn't be better!
Because let's be honest: after seven years of being together and countless holidays, it gets harder and harder to find a gift that doesn't feel like a simple transaction or a repeat of previous years. Of course, we both have long wishlists, and there's never a shortage of things you could buy, but especially on Valentine's Day, personal gestures are of particular importance. So this year, I want to create something that might be low in pure material value, but has so much time and love poured into it that you'll want to treasure it.
While leafing through the magazine pages, I finally come across my research topic: Hokapure.
Hidden within the Japanese characters ほかプレ is not just the word for "heartfelt" or "warm" (Hokahoka), but the abbreviation for a gesture that is truly one of a kind: Hoka ni nai Purezento. A gift that you cannot buy anywhere else. In the magazine columns, readers proudly show off their unique tokens of love. They are hand sewn plush copies of real vehicles, which the ladies often worked on for weeks. With embroidered details and individual lettering, these fabric cars became a very personal declaration of love.
In the magazines, I find couples who passionately share their hobby and pose proudly next to their cars. In their hands, they hold the plush version of their beloved vehicle. But there are also the women who support their boyfriend's hobby with total devotion, even if they aren't tech savvy themselves. It’s a gesture that makes it clear that you don’t just accept the other person’s passion, but that you understand and appreciate it.
I'm particularly touched by the story of a Toyota Soarer. After a man lost his beloved car in an accident and was mourning it deeply, his partner sewed him a little plush version as a memory of the good times they shared. It’s important to note that a Hokapure isn't sewn quickly, which really underscores the emotional value of this gift. It is a time consuming, sometimes frustrating process that can take several days or even weeks.
This PDF is a summary of the magazine pages I discovered, for anyone who wants to gain deeper insight into the couples' stories and see a wide variety of Hokapure:
I got really obsessed with this topic and desperately want to learn more. However, information on Hokapure is scarce. You can hardly find any useful sources on Google. One post that truly helped me in my search for visual input is the article from kaidoracer.com. The author presents scans of completely different magazine pages than the ones I have, including original drawings of patterns, concepts, and bittersweet stories of couples.
Despite my magazines and research, I’m standing here quite clueless before starting my Hokapure. There is no one who has really documented the sewing process in detail. While I learned a fair bit about sewing clothes from my grandma and my mom, a car is a whole different ball game. So, I'm venturing into this experiment and trying to approach the matter logically. Almost as if the car were a piece of clothing.
My Hokapure self-experiment
On the plan is my fiancé Marvin’s Nissan 200SX (Kenzō). This guide describes my process step by step. I’ve prepared it so that you have the chance to make a Hokapure yourself and, hopefully, can learn from my mistakes. Maybe it’s a cute date idea for Valentine’s Day or a project to help you bridge the time until the start of the upcoming car season.
1. Preparation
I printed out the car from four perspectives to get a feel for the dimensions. This gave me a view from the top, the side, the front, and the back. It’s especially important to see the details of the car like the headlights, body lines, and emblems. I set the size to A4 because, for one, I wanted it to stay printable, and also, I was worried the Nissan wouldn't fit in my sewing machine otherwise. While a Hokapure can easily be sewn by hand, I was happy to use the machine since it was available to me.
If you’re planning to do the project by hand, I recommend scaling everything up a bit. A bulkier plushie is more forgiving of crooked seams and makes handling a lot easier.
Next, I planned the colors and tried to keep the selection simple. I chose a fire red for the body, a warm yellow orange for the indicators, grey for the windows and wheels, and black for the tires and trim. If you want to sew on a license plate, you should plan for that fabric right away as well.
For Kenzō's straight-lined shape, I deliberately chose felt. This also matches many of the originals from the magazines: the material is sturdy, doesn't fray easily, and creates that wonderfully handmade look. While some Japanese women chose jersey fabric for more rounded shapes and diamond patterned fabrics were also very popular felt was ideal for getting started. Of course, matching embroidery thread in the colors of the chosen fabrics was a must. Fortunately, we have a very well-stocked fabric shop in Berlin that had absolutely everything in stock. I also treated myself to a new pair of fabric scissors, which made the whole job a lot easier. Additionally, I needed pins, hand sewing needles, cardboard, a thimble, and a large bag of polyester stuffing.
2. Cutting and Details
In the first step, I cut out the blueprints and transferred them onto the felt. I didn't trace directly along the edge of the paper, but left a gap of about half a centimeter all around. I needed this seam allowance because I wanted the "ugly seams" to disappear later. You achieve this by sewing the pieces together inside out and then flipping them right side out.
I split the car into two sections: I named the body "T1" and the roof including the window area "T2". I decided to do this because Kenzō visually consists of two levels, and the roof sits on the body like its own element. If I had made both from a single piece, the distinctive shape of the car wouldn't have been as recognizable. I also intentionally planned the wheels separately, as in the Japanese originals, they are usually sewn independently and attached from the outside.
I started with the red elements of T1 and used a red seam on the red background to suggest the typical lines and creases of the car. For the doors, panel gaps, or handles, I chose black thread instead, as these are much more prominent on the real model as well. This ensured that the car didn't look too flat and that characteristic features, such as the pop-up headlights, were recognizable. It was surprisingly straightforward and made a huge visual difference. Even with the loose pieces of fabric, you could already tell it was going to be a 200SX. I simplified the emblem on the front significantly with a few grey thread lines, as it just wasn't practical to implement at this scale.
At the future transitions between the body and the windows, I chose a zigzag stitch. These areas are also dark on a real car because that's where the window frames and seals are located. At the same time, the stitch provided some stability. If you're doing this by hand, you can also apply black felt strips to achieve the same effect - imitating a zigzag stitch by hand would be a very thankless task.
I also dedicated myself to the black underbody, which I cut out in the same size as the red body part above it. I found the underside a bit too boring, so I decided to hint at Marvin’s future dream exhaust system using grey felt. Additionally, I left him a small, stitched message from me using red thread.
3. The Chassis (T1)
Next, I assembled the body. I sewed the side panels to the top part, inside out of course, so I could flip everything later. Pins are very helpful for this step to fix the fabric pieces together and prevent them from slipping. Then, I joined the upper body surface and both sides together, again using a zigzag stitch. Once flipped, this look had something quite charming about it. With that, I was holding a finished U-shaped piece in my hands.
The front and rear of the car were now on the agenda, and considering the many details, I had a lot of respect for this step. I used my paper blueprints to help trace the outlines. I also transferred the air intakes, license plate size, and indicators onto the material so that I could sew these elements in later. Here, too, I sewed panel gaps with black thread and body edges with red thread. I experimented with applied yellow felt elements for the indicators and spontaneously sewed license plates from some white fabric I had lying around. Piece by piece, the face and rear of the car took shape and looked more and more like the real Kenzō.
I then sewed the individual pieces, again inside out, to my previously created U-shaped piece. This gave me a self-standing body structure that was only missing the underside. However, I didn’t sew that on yet, as my plan was to join T2 and T1 first. This would have been much more difficult if I had already stuffed it with the polyester filling at this point.
4. The Roof (T2)
For the roof "T2," I used the top view of the pattern. I cut the windshield, roof surface, and rear window in one piece from my grey felt, again factoring in the seam allowance. At the transitions from the window to the paint, I added a thin, straight seam, which made the material much easier to fold into shape. Additionally, I cut out a red section to represent the paint and sewed it onto my grey base.
Since some parts had warped during the process, I checked the final shape of the top section against my "T1" model once more. This gave me a sense of what needed to be trimmed and how much side wall I actually had to add on the left and right. To be honest, it was mostly done by eye, which probably explains why it ended up a little crooked. I prepared the grey sides with black felt to suggest the B-pillars and seals, simply sewing them onto the grey background.
Next, I sewed the top and the two side panels together inside out and flipped them. For the bottom of "T2," I used the indicated window mounting from "T1", which I had previously made with the zigzag stitch, as a direct guide. This gave me a matching base plate. I then closed the "T2" piece (consisting of the roof and sides) with this plate, again inside out, creating a kind of "sock." However, the rear side had to remain open, as that’s where the polyester stuffing would be inserted later.
When I started stuffing it, I quickly realized that it was becoming very balloon like not just on top, but also on the bottom. Yet it was exactly this surface that needed to remain as flat as possible, since it sits directly on T1. So, I cut a piece of cardboard in the shape of the T2 base and inserted it before continuing with the stuffing. This actually wasn't unusual, many Japanese creators used cardboard for stabilization, which is especially practical for depicting spoilers. I kept stuffing away, only to realize later that my car looked quite bloated. Therefore, I recommend checking repeatedly whether the amount of filling might already be sufficient. If there's too little, it becomes flimsy - if there's too much, it looks like mine.
5. The Wedding
I pinned the open section of the roof again and sewed it shut by hand. The next step was to join "T2" with "T1". After much consideration, I decided to do this along the edge of the base of "T2". That’s where my frustration began, because despite all the adjustments and measurements, nothing really seemed to fit together. Fortunately, felt is very forgiving. It hides mistakes and can be pulled into position. So, I sewed "T2" all the way around to "T1" and finally had a half-finished car in front of me. However, my seams had somehow become messy, and visual transitions between the two levels were missing. To fix this, I covered those areas with black decorative strips made of felt, intended to represent seals and window frames. In the end, I was reasonably satisfied with the result.
To finalize the car's body, I sewed the underbody on in a way that created another sock. Since the roof was already quite stable and large, flipping it inside out was unfortunately no longer possible. Therefore, I opted for a highly visible zigzag stitch, which also serves visually as the side skirt area. Again, I left the rear of the underside open and added the stuffing. It was getting late, and unfortunately, I forgot to insert a cardboard base plate here as well. As a result, Kenzō ended up with a pretty big belly. He must have had a bit too much petrol to drink!
6. The Tires
Finally, it was time for the wheels, and I had the romantic notion that this would be a job of maybe an hour. However, they cost me significantly more time and nerves. Since the proportions had changed slightly throughout the process due to the stuffing and sewing of the body, I determined the tire size visually, directly on the model.
For each wheel, I cut out two black circles and prepared the rims in grey. They were supposed to resemble SSR Longchamps, but they ended up looking like bicycle rims; while that annoyed me, I wasn't able to achieve a better result despite several attempts. By the way, it’s recommended to sew a test tire first. They simply bulge too much with the stuffing and lose size as a result.
I sewed the rim onto one of the black discs, then sewed both black circles together inside out - again, of course, with a small opening for flipping. After turning them right side out, I added stuffing here as well before closing the whole thing by hand, which was quite a finicky task. I repeated this process four times.
Attaching the wheels to the body was another feat of strength. Since I had to work through the stuffed body, there was a lot of tension on the material. Not only was it painful for my fingers, but four of my needles also said goodbye with a loud snap. The wheels, and this is really important, need to be secured not just in the center, but also at the top where they meet the body. When mine were only attached in the middle, they looked like knock knees, so I quickly fixed my mistake with securing stitches at the top.
As a final step, I removed any loose threads, touched up small seams, and gave Kenzō one last inspection from all sides.
My conclusion
In the end, Kenzō is now standing in front of me. Perhaps a bit rounder and more crooked than the blueprint had planned, but that’s exactly what defines a Hokapure. It’s not a perfect factory made model car, but a true one of a kind piece with character and a personal touch. I can only encourage you: try it for yourself!
If you decide to brave this experiment, I would be absolutely delighted to see your results. Feel free to send a photo of your fabric car to @veinautomotive on Instagram. I’m excited to see which models you bring to life
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