Recently a Japanese man, named Toco, made the headlines for turning into a dog. One may wonder, how? Well, Toco spent $14,000 (over INR 12 lakhs) to get a hyper-realistic Border Collie costume made for himself, and after wearing it he turned into a dog. And now, Toco is back in the news– this time for opening a zoo where other people can also become animals!
Toco, who is popularly known as ‘the human collie’, has now opened a specialised zoo named TokoTokoZoo, wherein people can fulfill their wish of becoming a dog. After achieving his dream of becoming a dog, Toco wanted to help others do the same. The Mirror reports that in the new zoo, people can wear a hyper-realistic dog suit experience living like a dog.
All about TokoTokoZoo
Sharing more details about this new venture, the zoo’s official website states, “Have you ever wanted to be an animal? Have you ever imagined yourself as something other than yourself and felt excited? We offer a service that can help make that wish come true, even if only a little, by having you wear a costume.”
At the moment, the zoo has only Alaskan Malamute costume– which is a large dog breed which looks like Husky. The zoo plans to add hyper-realistic panda costumes too. But, they do not plan to have cat or fox costumes as “they are too small for humans to wear,” as per reports.
The website further states that people who would like to experience being a dog should book their outfit 30 in advance. The cost of a 180-minute experience is 49,000 Yen (roughly INR 28275), while it is 36,000 Yen (roughly INR 20773) for a 120-minute session. However, if customers wish to come along with a friend or two the cost would be a bit less. The cost of getting a friend along is 30,000 Yen (roughly INR 17311) per person. While for three people, the cost is 20,000 Yen (roughly INR 11541).
Customers can even have custom fittings done, before their final session. TokoToko Zoo is located in Tokyo, Japan but it is open to English-speaking people too.
Toco’s “dream” of turning into a dog had earlier not only amused people on the internet, but it had also sparked online discussions about one’s identity, personal freedom and preferences.
What are your views on Toco turning into a dog and now helping others do the same? Tell us in the comments section below.