A sensational claim circulating on social media that a Japanese man spent nearly Tk 220 crore to transform himself into a dog through plastic surgery is false and misleading, according to available information.
The man, known online as Toco, did not undergo any plastic surgery or medical procedure to alter his body. Instead, he wore an ultra-realistic dog costume specially designed to resemble a Border Collie.
Toco reportedly had a long-standing fascination with experiencing life like a four-legged animal. To fulfil the unusual hobby, he commissioned Japanese special-effects and modelling company Zeppet to create a highly realistic dog costume.
The costume was designed with considerable attention to detail, allowing Toco to closely resemble a real dog when wearing it. Videos and photographs of him using the costume and behaving like a dog were later shared widely on social media, attracting international attention.
Reports say the costume cost around 2 million Japanese yen, equivalent to approximately Tk 12–14 lakh, far below the Tk 220 crore claimed in viral posts.
There was no surgery or permanent physical transformation involved. The claim that Toco underwent plastic surgery to become a dog is therefore baseless.
The misleading narrative appears to have been amplified by clickbait posts, sensational captions and manipulated or AI-generated content shared on social media. Such posts can create false impressions when presented without proper context or verification.
Modern medical science also does not allow plastic surgery to transform a human being into an entirely different animal species.
The incident highlights the importance of verifying sensational claims through reliable sources before sharing them online. In reality, the Japanese man did not become a dog through surgery; he simply wore an exceptionally realistic dog costume.
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