Escaping the daily grind usually means booking a holiday or taking up yoga. For one man, it meant something far more radical. Tired of social pressure and workday routines, he chose an unusual form of freedom that involved fur, paws and a remarkably lifelike costume.
a very unconventional escape from office life
In bustling Tokyo, where long hours and social expectations can feel relentless, Toru Ueda had reached a quiet breaking point. An engineer by profession, he found the weight of professional life increasingly heavy. Rather than changing jobs or cities, he chose a more personal route to relief. He decided to become a wolf.
Not symbolically or metaphorically, but quite literally, at least in appearance. Ueda invested three million yen, just over €21,000, in an extraordinarily realistic wolf costume. The piece was custom made over seven weeks by Zeppet, a firm better known for creating outfits for film and television than for fulfilling private existential quests.
seven weeks, dozens of emails and one clear vision
This was not an off the shelf fancy dress purchase. Ueda approached the project with precision and patience. He met the costume designers three times and exchanged around forty emails to refine every detail. He shared photographs of wolves, discussed posture, proportions and movement, and made one key request. The costume had to look convincingly animal while allowing him to walk upright.
The result is uncanny. Thick fur, carefully shaped features and a body structure that blurs the line between human and animal. When he puts it on, he says, something shifts internally.
‘when i look in the mirror, i see a wolf’
Speaking to The Times, Ueda explained that the transformation is more emotional than theatrical. ‘When I wear the costume, I no longer feel human. When I look in the mirror, I see a wolf, and it moves me deeply,’ he said.
For him, the suit offers an escape from what he calls the complexity of human relationships. Work pressures fade. Social expectations soften. It is not about pretending to be something else, but about finding a quieter version of himself.
He is also quick to draw a line between fantasy and fear. This is not about becoming a monster. ‘I am not a werewolf,’ he clarified. ‘A werewolf is a monster, and I am not a monster.’
a private ritual, not a public spectacle
Despite the striking appearance, Ueda has no intention of roaming the streets of Tokyo in disguise. The wolf only comes out at home. Even when friends visit for a drink, the costume remains part of his private world rather than a performance for strangers.
Those close to him seem supportive. According to Ueda, his friends are simply glad he has found something that helps him feel more at ease. It is a reminder that wellbeing does not always look the same for everyone.
not an isolated case
Ueda is not alone in turning to Zeppet to reimagine his life. Recently, another Japanese client reportedly spent more than €14,000 on a dog costume for similar reasons. These stories may sound eccentric, but they also hint at a broader conversation about stress, identity and the lengths people will go to find relief.
Living in Japan, where social harmony often comes before personal expression, such choices stand out. Yet they also underline a universal truth. When pressure builds, people search for ways to breathe again, whether through running, painting or, in rare cases, becoming a wolf.
In the end, Ueda still lives his human life. He works, he socialises, he navigates the same city as everyone else. But now, tucked away at home, he has a way to step outside himself for a while. And sometimes, that is enough.
