Shoji Morimoto, a 38-year-old from Tokyo, has found an unconventional way to earn a living—by doing almost nothing. Charging 10,000 yen (about $71) per booking, Morimoto offers himself as a companion, simply being present wherever his clients need him.
"I rent myself out. My job is to be wherever my clients want me to be and to do nothing in particular," Morimoto explained to Reuters. Over the past four years, he has completed around 4,000 bookings.
Morimoto has gained a significant following on X, with nearly 250,000 followers. Many of his clients come from this platform, with roughly a quarter returning for multiple sessions. One regular client has hired him 270 times.
His tasks have varied, from accompanying someone who wanted to play on a seesaw in a park to waving goodbye to a stranger through a train window. However, Morimoto sets boundaries—he refuses requests to move heavy items like fridges, travel abroad, or engage in any sexual activities.
Recently, Morimoto spent time with Aruna Chida, a 27-year-old data analyst. The two shared tea and cakes while engaging in light conversation. Chida, dressed in a sari, had been hesitant to wear the traditional Indian outfit in public for fear of embarrassing her friends. She turned to Morimoto for support.
"With my friends I feel I have to entertain them, but with the rental-guy (Morimoto) I don't feel the need to be chatty," Chida said.
Before taking up this unique profession, Morimoto worked at a publishing company, where he was often criticised for "doing nothing." This led him to wonder if his ability to "do nothing" could be a service.
Now, the companionship business is Morimoto's main source of income, supporting his wife and child. Although he declined to reveal his earnings, he mentioned that he now sees one or two clients a day, down from three or four before the pandemic.
Reflecting on his unusual job, Morimoto pondered the societal emphasis on productivity. "People tend to think that my 'doing nothing' is valuable because it is useful (for others) … But it's fine to really not do anything. People do not have to be useful in any specific way," he said.