A man who transforms himself into a collie in a $15,000 costume worries how his friends would react if they knew

A Japanese man who likes to dress up as a giant collie is still too scared to reveal his secret double life to most of his family and friends.

The man, known only as Toco, spent two million yen – the equivalent of £12,480 – on a lifelike costume to fulfill his lifelong fantasy of “becoming an animal”.

In some of his most recent updates to his 11,400 YouTube subscribers, Toco revealed he’s started walking his quiet street and playing in his backyard — all on all fours.

He also shared videos in which he attempted to perform tricks in exchange for fake dog food.

After an interview with MailOnline earlier this year, Toco told the Mirror he still hasn’t built up enough confidence to tell some of his closest friends about his hobby.

He spent $15,000 on the rough collie costume so he could fulfill his dream of transforming into an animal

Toco suggested using a collie as he says “long haired dogs can mislead the human figure”.

“I rarely tell my friends because I’m afraid they’ll think I’m weird,” he said. “My friends and family seemed very surprised to learn I was becoming an animal.”

Toco said he enjoys “doing things that only dogs do.”

In September, Toco took an outdoor walk for the first time. He said in a YouTube video documenting the experience that he felt “nervous and a little scared.”

“I wear a leash because people are surprised when they see me. I’m very nervous,” he said in the video.

“Do you remember your childhood dreams? You want to be a hero or a wizard.

A Japanese man who transforms into a dog in an ultra-realistic costume has said he hides his canine alter ego from his friends because he’s worried they’ll find it odd

“I remember writing in my elementary school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and go for a walk outside.”

Noticing how nice the wind felt in his fur, he rolled in the grass in his backyard.

Toco said he wears sandals to protect his feet and the bottom of the costume from soiling after spending nearly £13,000 to have it made to measure.

His now-viral videos have attracted like-minded fans, with one saying, “You inspire us to fulfill our dreams too.”

Another wrote: “I hope I too become the animal I want to be. You are an inspiration to us.”

Japanese company Zeppet, which creates costumes for TV commercials and films, spent 40 days making the outfit.

A spokesman said: “Modeled after a collie dog, it reproduces the look of a real dog walking on four legs.”