Imagine stepping into a place where you don’t just see dogs—you become one. In January 2025, a provocative and surreal new experience opened in Saitama Prefecture, Japan: Tocotoco Zoo, founded by the viral figure known as Toco, the Human Collie.
Here, paying guests don hyper-realistic dog suits and spend hours role-playing in a setting designed to blur the boundary between human and canine identity. It’s quirky. It’s eccentric. It’s a little uncanny. And it has been attracting headlines and curiosity across the globe.
Who Is Toco, The Human Collie?
Toco first gained worldwide attention in 2023 when he revealed his custom-made collie dog suit—crafted so realistically that passersby and online viewers often mistook him for a living animal. Videos of him “living as a dog,” walking on all fours, or lounging in suburban backyards quickly went viral.
While some dismissed the project as an elaborate cosplay stunt, for Toco it was something far more personal. He has described his lifelong dream of becoming a dog—not symbolically, but in lived experience. The collie suit was his way of exploring that identity. As his following grew, it became clear that his passion struck a chord. For some, he represented performance art; for others, a bold act of self-expression. For Toco himself, it was simply about realizing an inner wish he had carried since childhood.
Tocotoco Zoo is the natural extension of that dream—a place where others, too, can step into fur and paws.
What Is Tocotoco Zoo?
Unlike a traditional zoo, Tocotoco Zoo flips the dynamic: you don’t come to observe animals, you come to become one.
The experience, located in Saitama Prefecture just north of Tokyo, invites visitors to don a hyper-realistic Alaskan Malamute costume complete with lifelike proportions, a wagging tail, and a mouth that can open and close. For three hours, participants can walk, crawl, pose, and play as a “dog.”
The Basics:
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Location: Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
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Opening Date: January 26, 2025.
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Cost: Around ¥49,000 (US $300–320) for a private session.
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Duration: 180 minutes (3 hours).
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Group Size: Up to three participants per booking.
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Suit: Alaskan Malamute costume, with movable features.
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Height Requirement: Between 4’11” and 5’11” (to fit the costume).
What makes the zoo unusual isn’t just the lifelike suits, but the philosophy. Tocotoco Zoo bills itself as “a place where your wish to become an animal comes true.”
Public Reaction: Excitement and Skepticism
When news of Tocotoco Zoo broke, reactions spanned the spectrum.
On one side were the curious and enthusiastic. Fans saw it as playful, imaginative, and even liberating—an immersive role-play experience that tapped into something primal and fun. Lifestyle magazines, pop culture blogs, and social media users described it as part fantasy, part art installation, part therapy.
Others were more skeptical. Some questioned the practicality of the idea: would people really pay hundreds of dollars to sweat inside a heavy costume for hours? Critics wondered whether the business could sustain itself once the novelty wore off.
By spring 2025, reports circulated that bookings had slowed, and Toco himself hinted that the zoo might need to close by June if demand didn’t pick up. High costs, niche appeal, and logistical challenges—such as costume upkeep, hygiene, and physical safety—loom as barriers.
What Tocotoco Zoo Reveals
Beyond the headlines and quirkiness, Tocotoco Zoo touches on deeper themes that make it more than just a novelty.
Identity and Role-Play
For Toco and many participants, becoming a dog isn’t only about putting on a suit—it’s about inhabiting another identity. To crawl on all fours, wag your tail, or “see” the world from a dog’s perspective is to explore a new relationship with the self. Some might call it fantasy or escapism; others see it as personal discovery.
Fantasy vs. Reality
Humans have long been fascinated by transformation—myths of shapeshifting animals, anthropomorphic gods, or tales of humans turning into creatures abound in cultures worldwide. Tocotoco Zoo makes that fantasy tactile. The question it raises isn’t whether you can truly “become” a dog, but what it feels like to try.
Experience Culture
Japan is no stranger to unusual themed experiences—owl cafés, robot restaurants, virtual reality arcades. Tocotoco Zoo fits into this broader trend of paying for experiences rather than objects. What sets it apart is its radical intimacy: the line between participant and spectacle vanishes when you yourself become the attraction.
Thinking of Visiting? What to Know
If you’re tempted to try the Tocotoco Zoo experience, here are a few practical notes:
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Book Early: With only a few slots per day and a three-person max per booking, sessions are limited.
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Check the Size Limits: Not everyone can fit into the costume; height restrictions are strict.
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Prepare Physically: The suits are heavy and warm. Expect to sweat, crawl, and tire out quickly.
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Dress Comfortably: Loose clothing underneath will help.
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Expect Mixed Reactions: Friends and followers may find it fascinating—or bewildering.
Is Tocotoco Zoo Here to Stay?
That remains uncertain. While the zoo has drawn international coverage, sustaining interest at a high ticket price may prove difficult. Toco has hinted at expanding offerings—possibly creating other animal suits or different interactive formats—but financial viability remains an open question.
In some ways, Tocotoco Zoo may ultimately be remembered less as a long-running business and more as a bold experiment: part performance art, part identity exploration, part pop culture curiosity.
Conclusion: The Strange Beauty of “Becoming a Dog”
Tocotoco Zoo is one of the most unusual animal-themed ventures in recent memory. It flips the script on our relationship with dogs: instead of caretakers, we become them. For some, it is whimsical and fun; for others, unsettling or absurd.
But at its heart, Tocotoco Zoo is about something deeply human—the desire to play, to transform, to cross boundaries of identity and experience. Whether the zoo survives long-term or not, its existence reminds us that our fascination with animals goes beyond companionship. Sometimes, it is about seeing ourselves in them, and seeing what happens when we try to walk in their paws.
For those curious enough to try, Tocotoco Zoo offers a story you can literally step into—fur, tail, and all.