A Japanese dog lover who rose to internet fame for dressing head to toe in a £12,500 bespoke collie costume has revealed how his family feels about his new life as a dog.
Known only as Toco, the man spent two million Yen – which works out to £12,480 – on a lifelike costume to fulfill his lifelong fantasy of ‘becoming an animal’.
Toco became an internet sensation, amassing over 52,000 subscribers on YouTube when he shared videos of him being taken for walks — on all fours — and trying to perform tricks in exchange for fake dog food.
Now Toco has revealed that his family were initially “surprised” by his bizarre “hobby” of dressing up as the collie, but have come to accept it.
“The family was surprised, but received it positively,” Toco told the newspaper New York Post. “I’m very glad they accepted it.”
A Japanese dog lover who rose to internet fame for dressing head to toe in a £12,500 bespoke collie costume has revealed how his family feels about his new life as a dog
Toco gained internet fame by dressing head to toe in a custom collie costume
Known only as Toco, the man spent two million yen – which works out to £12,480 – on a lifelike costume to fulfill his lifelong fantasy of ‘becoming an animal’
Toco, who has previously said that his lifelong dream was to be a dog and walk outside, said of his hobby, “My desire to be an animal is like a desire to transform, a desire to to be something I’m not.’
He added that he changes to the collie once a week, usually at home.
But a series of surreal videos posted to his “I want to be an animal” YouTube channel shows Toco being taken for a walk on a leash in the outside world to meet other people and animals for the first time.
The footage shows Toco sniffing other dogs in a park before rolling on the floor.
Toco received backlash online, with many social media users mocking him for spending £12,500 on the costume which took 40 days to make.
One Twitter user said, “A Japanese man spent over $20,000 on this border collie costume. You can’t convince me this isn’t some weird sex thing.
“Men will literally spend $20,000 turning into a border collie instead of going to therapy.”
Toco responded to the comments, “I’m just sad that people can think that. I love animals and like to play as a collie. This is my hobby, so I will continue. It makes me happy and other people too.’
Toco’s antics were seemingly well received in the video of him walking on all fours in a park by passersby and other dogs, who seemed mostly curious.
Toco, who stepped outside his home, has interacted with other dogs, walking on all fours and sniffing them
A Japanese man who transforms into a dog with an ultra-realistic costume has said he hides his dog alter ego from his friends because he’s afraid they’ll think it’s weird
Other videos showed Toco rolling over while holding a stuffed animal
But despite building a cult following, Toco isn’t ready to take off his mask just yet.
Toco told MailOnline in May last year: ‘Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be an animal. I think it is a desire to transform.
“I’ve been thinking about it since I can remember.”
The dog lover said he has hidden his identity and his human face from the world because he doesn’t want to be judged by people he knows.
“I don’t want my hobbies to be known,” he said, “especially with the people I work with.”
“They think it’s weird that I want to be a dog. For the same reason I can’t show my real face.’
Then late last year, Toco told the Mirror he still hasn’t built up enough confidence to tell some of his closest friends about his hobby.
“I rarely tell my friends because I’m afraid they’ll think I’m weird,” he said. “My friends and family seemed very surprised when they heard I was turning into an animal.”
Toco said he enjoys “doing things only dogs do.”
Toco suggested using a collie, as he says “long-haired dogs can deceive the human figure”
In September, Toco tried an outdoor walk for the first time. He said in a YouTube video documenting the experience that he felt “nervous and a little scared.”
“I wear a belt because people are surprised when they see me. I’m very nervous,” he said in the video.
‘Do you remember your dreams from when you were little? You want to be a hero or a wizard.
“I remember writing in my grade school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and walk outside.”
He noticed how nice the wind felt in his fur and rolled in the grass in his backyard.
Toco said he wears sandals to protect his feet and the bottom of the suit from getting dirty, having spent nearly £13,000 having it tailored.
His now-viral videos have attracted like-minded fans, with a saying, “You inspire us to make our dreams come true, too.”
Another wrote: ‘I hope I too become the animal I want to be. You are an inspiration to us.’
Japanese company Zeppetwho makes costumes for TV commercials and movies spent 40 days making the outfit.
A spokesperson said: “Modelled after a collie dog, it reproduces the look of a real dog walking on all fours.”