Japanese man who spent $16,000 to become a ‘dog’ shares first interview

August 22, 2023

The Japanese man who “transformed” himself into a dog has shared moments from a recent interview.

The latest: The costumed man, known only by his rough collie moniker “Toco,” was recently interviewed by Spanish news agency EFE, one of the world’s largest wire services. In the video, he is seen “responding” to questions through a microphone.

The video also shows Toco being taken out for another public walk on the streets of Tokyo. Aboard a cart pulled by a friend, he once again turns heads and even snags some selfies with fans.

Background: Toco spent 2 million yen last year (approximately $15,700 at the time) to commission model and sculpture company Zeppet to create his costume. He then began posting videos on his YouTube channel, where his audience has now grown to over 54,000 subscribers.

Toco previously shared his first public “walk,” which was filmed last year during an interview with German TV station RTL. The video, however, focused on his interactions with bystanders and did not show him being interviewed.

In an X post, Toco said he will post a longer video of his interview with EFE. It remains to be seen how he actually responds to questions.

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