Man Spends $23,000 on Life-Like Custom Wolf Suit That Covers Him From Head to Toe | "Free of Human Relationships"

People frequently dress up their pet animals in human-like costumes. When humans decide to impersonate animals, costumes allow us to shed our identities and transform—if only for a short time—into someone or something else. Pretending to be someone else for Halloween or a fun party could be entertaining as the feeling of freedom is priceless.

Just ask Toru Ueda, a Tokyo-based engineer. He spent $23,000 on a life-like custom wolf suit that covers him from head to toe. According to My Modern Met, when he wears the costume, he "no longer feels human" and has the opportunity to escape our otherwise mundane existence.

While it is an unusual way to express these very human feelings, Ueda's desire is understandable. "I have no human relationships. I've had a lot of problems, both at work and elsewhere," he said. "I don't have to think about them." He becomes absorbed in his animal alter ego. The engineer wanted the suit to look as natural as possible while still allowing him to move around freely.

To make his dream a reality, he and the company that first made it possible exchanged 40 emails in which they discussed details as minute as the texture of the coat. Much thought and effort seem to have gone into making Ueda's dream come true. 

Ueda approached the Japanese company Zeppet to create his lifelike wolf costume. Zeppet specializes in sculptures, models, and life-like mascots for the entertainment industry. This isn't the first time we've seen this company's work; its equally realistic dog costume went viral in 2022. Toko, the man who owns the costume of a collie—his favorite breed of dog—spent nearly $16k on it. 

The costume only took 40 days to complete. Speaking of the making of the costume, a Zeppet employee said: "The point is that the skeleton of a dog can be reproduced on the skeleton of a human. Since the structure of the skeleton is very different, we spent a lot of time studying how to make it look like a 'dog.'" Toko wears the suit and moves around his room in a short, now-viral video. The fur and expressions are realistic, and the man has even learned how to act like a collie (including walking on all fours).

However, unlike the canine costume, which has its own YouTube channel, Ueda is reserved about his wolf costume. He won't wear it out, and it's something he enjoys wearing with friends while drinking at home. After all, an escape is most enjoyable when it is a treat rather than a necessity. The outfit looks eerily life-like but makes him feel very comfortable. "I'm free of human relationships. All kinds of troubles, related to work and other things. I can forget about them," he said.