It’s a pillow. There have been various kinds of pillows in the past in Japan. The names of pillows such as kusa-makura, ki-makura, kawa-makura, ishi-makura, iwa-makura, ine-makura and komo-makura appeared in the Manyo-shu (Collection of a Myriad Leaves), complied from the 7th century to the 8th century. The modern pillows are also called by different names depending on type of fabrics, fillings or shapes. For example, pillows such as soba-makura, take-makura, igusa-makura, tou-makura, teihanpatsu-makura (low repulsion pillow) and daki-makura are well known.