Weird But True

I paid $23K for my wolf suit — now I’m free of human relationships

By
Social Links for Emily Lefroy
Published Jan. 24, 2023
Updated Jan. 24, 2023, 2:11 p.m. ET

He’s a man in wolf’s clothing — and proud of it.

Japanese engineer Toru Ueda likes to wind down from a busy week with a drink just like anyone else. But rather than heading down to the local bar, he likes to entertain at home — dressed up in a giant wolf suit worth 3 million yen [$23,000 USD].

According to the Tokyo professional, his obsession with animals stems from wanting to escape from the general hassle of being a person.

“When I wear my costume I feel I’m no longer human,” the 32-year-old told the UK Times. “I’m free of human relationships. All kinds of troubles, related to work and other things — I can forget about them.”

Ueda had his suit made last summer by Zeppet, a company that makes costumes for television and movies. Their costumes span from monsters and robots for sci-fi and horror films to animal suits for children’s television programs.

A man in Japan has spent more than $22,000 on an amazingly realistic full-size wolf suit to fulfil his childhood dream of being an animal. The man was howling with delight when he finally got to wear the gray and white costume modelled on a timber wolf and created by Zeppet Workshop, which cost a staggering 3 million yen (about $22,650 USD). He said: ““At the final fitting, I was amazed at my transformed self in the mirror. “My order to ‘look like a real wolf walking on hind legs’ was difficult – to say the least – but the complete suit looked exactly like what I imagined.” The satisfied customer added: “Because of my love for animals since childhood and some realistic animal suits appearing on TV, I dreamed of being one someday. “Thanks to the studio, one of my childhood dreams has come true.” The suit comes with an imperceptible ventilation slit, along with special features that allows the wearer to put it on by himself. According to Zeppet, which specialises in modelling, costume suits, and animatronics and robotics, the customer and creators looked at images of wolves to get every detail right during his visits for measurement and fitting, The man said: “It only took about three days from the final fitting to the delivery, but the three days felt very long. It was a kind of excitement I have not felt for a long time.” *BYLINE: ©BLAST Inc./Zeppet/LIFESTYLOGY/TMX/Mega. 10 Jan 2023 Pictured: A man in Japan has spent more than $22,000 on an amazingly realistic full-size wolf suit to fulfill his childhood dream of being an animal. *BYLINE: ©BLAST Inc./Zeppet/LIFESTYLOGY/TMX/Mega. Photo credit: ©BLAST Inc./Zeppet/LIFESTYLOGY/T / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA931591_009.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
A man in Japan has spent more than $23,000 on a realistic full-size wolf suit to fulfill his childhood dream of being an animal. Zeppet/LIFESTYLOGY/MEGA
“At the final fitting, I was amazed at my transformed self in the mirror. “My order to ‘look like a real wolf walking on hind legs’ was difficult – to say the least – but the complete suit looked exactly like what I imagined.”
“At the final fitting, I was amazed at my transformed self in the mirror,” says Japanese engineer Toru Ueda. “My order to ‘look like a real wolf walking on hind legs’ was difficult – to say the least – but the complete suit looked exactly like what I imagined.” Zeppet/LIFESTYLOGY/MEGA

Ueda exchanged more than 40 emails with the team and they had over three face-to-face meetings, in which he showed them images of his dream suit and finer details, like the pattern of the coat and texture of the fur. Although he wanted the human-sized suit to be as realistic as possible, he also requested it allow him to walk normally, according to the Times.

“When I look in the mirror, I see a wolf, and that is very moving,” he reflected. "I’m not a werewolf — that’s a kind of monster, and I am not a monster."
“When I look in the mirror, I see a wolf, and that is very moving,” he says. “I’m not a werewolf — that’s a kind of monster, and I am not a monster.” News Licensing/MEGA
EXCLUSIVE: ** PREMIUM RATES** Toru Ueda spent a staggering 3 million Japanese yen to fulfill his childhood dream of being a wolf by having a full-size wolf suit created for him by Zeppet Workshop just last summer of 2022. 24 Jan 2023 Pictured: ** PREMIUM RATES** Toru Ueda spent a staggering 3 million Japanese yen to fulfill his childhood dream of being a wolf by having a full-size wolf suit created for him by Zeppet Workshop just last summer of 2022. Photo credit: News Licensing / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA935835_002.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
Although cosplay is incredibly popular in Japan, Ueda says none of his friends dress up and he generally doesn’t wear his furry frock to gatherings with other cosplayers. News Licensing/MEGA

The company that created the lifelike suit also made headlines in 2022 for a man-sized border collie suit, which is reportedly worth $15,400.

The company also produces lifelike replicas of people’s pets, with prices ranging depending on the size of the dog.

A smaller dog, like a Chihuahua, will set you back $2,300, while a larger dog — like a Great Dane — would be closer to $3,500.

Although cosplay is incredibly popular in Japan, Ueda said none of his friends dress up and he generally doesn’t wear his furry frock to gatherings with other cosplayers.

For Ueda, the costume gives him a power that he doesn’t feel like he has in everyday life.

“When I look in the mirror, I see a wolf, and that is very moving,” he said. “I’m not a werewolf — that’s a kind of monster, and I am not a monster.”