A Japanese man, who spent over Rs 11 lakh, approximately 2 million yen, to fulfil his dream of becoming a dog, has now turned his passion into a business venture. He rents out his canine outfit to like-minded people.
Hailing from Saitama Prefecture in east-central Honshu, Toco launched the rental service on January 26, requiring at least 30 days’ advance booking. The price is set at 49,000 yen (Rs 27,867) for 180 minutes and 36,000 yen (Rs 20,474) for 120 minutes. Despite the high prices, the February slots are fully booked.
One of Toco’s followers said that whenever someone asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up, “I would say, ‘I want to be a wolf!’ And I would get very sad when adults told me it was not possible.”
“Thank you for making these dreams come true,” the follower said, reported South China Morning Post.
Last year, Toco went viral for mimicking a dog, wearing a costume weighing around 4 kg. To make it look realistic, he bought a costume of his favourite breed, the collie, from a company specialising in film props and designs. The costume features a movable tail, mouth and paws.
The man has also started his YouTube channel, “I want to be an animal”, to document his life as a dog.
Talking about his passion for becoming a dog, he explained that he chose a collie because it looked more realistic when combined with his taste and costume.
He mentioned that he preferred quadrupedal animals, especially cute ones. Among them, he felt that a large animal close to him would be a good choice and serve as a realistic model.
While he enjoys embodying a collie, he is also exploring ways to make his limbs look more like a dog’s for an even more realistic transformation. Maintaining the costume is another challenge, as dirt easily sticks to its fur, making cleaning a tedious task.
Over time, he has trained himself to mimic a dog’s behaviour, such as shaking hands, rolling over, and catching frisbees. Not only that, but he also frequently goes out to socialise with real dogs while wearing a collar, and no one recognises that a human is disguised as a dog.
Last year, he added a new “skin,” making an Alaskan Malamute outfit more detailed, fluffier, and cuter.
His passion for transformation is not limited to dogs. Toco hopes to become another animal in the future. He believes he could realistically take on the appearance of another dog, a panda, or a bear.
While he also finds foxes and cats fascinating, their smaller size makes them impractical for a human to imitate. “I’d like to fulfil my dream of becoming another animal someday,” said Toco.
