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Japanese man spends $22,000 on costume to live his dream as a dog

This article is more than 12 months old

A Japanese man whose life-long ambition has been to live the life of a four-legged furry animal has made it happen.

The man, known as Toko-san, paid a company two-million Yen ($20,000) to create a unique, life-like costume of a rough collie that he can wear regularly.

“I made it a collie because it looks real when I put it on,” Toko-San told local news outlet Mynavi of the furry outfit he commissioned from Zeppet, a company that makes costumes for TV commercials and movies.

The final product took 40 days to create.

Toko-San loves all “quadrupedal animals” but he chose a dog, specifically a rough collie, because it was the most realistic and its long hair can “mislead the human figure.”

Collies also happen to be Toko-San’s favourite dog breed so it was a win-win.

Last month, Toko-San posted a video to his YouTube channel in which he’s wearing the canine costume and appears to be going through the motions on what it now feels like to be a dog.

A few days later, he posted an introduction video that explains why he is doing what he’s doing and what people can expect.

His YouTube channel now features an array of videos in full costume, from rolling over, playing fetch and snuggling with stuffed animals, to more human moves such as waving, flipping pages and bouncing a ping-pong ball on a paddle.

The wagging wannabe also has a Twitter account where he boasts about being “able to fulfil my dream of becoming an animal!”

For the most part, people can’t get over how realistic the costume is and commend him for not giving up on his dream.

Others, however, are a tad more cynical: “No matter how much money you spent, you won’t be a real dog.”

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