Every day, Shoji Morimoto lends himself to strangers who are looking for someone's company for almost anything.
Lee Ying Shan
When Shoji Morimoto was fired from his office job in 2018, his manager criticized him for lacking initiative and “not doing anything” of value to the company. It's a joke, because Morimoto, now 41, has since built a lucrative career doing nothing.
Known in Japan as the renter who does nothing, Morimoto's daily routine involves lending money to strangers who are looking for someone's company for almost everything. These requests might include waiting for a marathon runner at the finish line or a video call while a bored client renovates and cleans her room. Once, a client who couldn't attend a concert with her friend hired Morimoto to replace her.
Shoji Morimoto reserves a seat for his client in the park.
Shoji Morimoto
From the absurd to the mundane, Morimoto will just show up and “do nothing” beyond what he's asked to do – except sex.
“I was put in objectively difficult situations, such as standing in line under the scorching sun, standing for hours in the bitter cold, going to parties with only strangers, or standing alone on stage in front of a large audience doing nothing,” said the father of a seven-year-old CNBC Do it.
“But no matter what misfortune I experienced, I feel like it was something special that happened just because I do this job, so I can still cherish it,” he said.
Not a therapist
Morimoto's longest single assignment was a 17-hour journey on the same railway line, start to finish, from early morning to the last train. “We did 13 laps on the Yamanote line (train station),” he said.
There have also been several requests for Morimoto to listen to customers' bad days. When it comes to conversations, however, Morimoto offers the bare minimum and the simplest answers. In other words, he nods and listens carefully, but tries not to play therapist.
Morimoto told CNBC he receives about 1,000 claims a year and lets his clients decide how much they pay him. He used to charge a flat rate of 10,000 to 30,000 yen ($65 to $195) for a two- to three-hour session, and last year he earned about $80,000.
Late last year, Morimoto introduced a pay-as-you-want model.
“I charge a voluntary fee, so I don't know if it will be sustainable, but I'm having fun trying to see if it will be sustainable,” Morimoto said, adding that his goal is not to make a living or support himself but “just live life and enjoy it.”
CNBC followed Morimoto for two hours, taking him to a piglet cafe in Tokyo where customers can sip a drink and interact with litters of piglets.
Lee Ying Shan
To put his services to the test, CNBC Make It followed Morimoto for two hours, taking him to a piglet cafe in Tokyo where customers can sip a drink and interact with litters of piglets.
I had initially planned to go alone, but entering the crowded cafe and seeing customers in pairs and small groups made me feel a glimmer of relief to have Morimoto's company.
He had another advantage: he could take photos of me playing with the pigs.
After a few initial exchanges in broken Japanese and some help with Google Translate, I didn't need any more small talk as I left him alone and concentrated on my pig. That's when I realized Morimoto's appeal: clients like me could enjoy a social activity without being judged for acting alone. What's more, I don't feel obligated to continue talking to anyone when I'm really just there for the pigs.
This fits well with the current needs of Japanese people who are not looking for love or marriage and do not want the hassle of such relationships, but want someone with whom they can freely go on dates or have dinner.
Ai Sakata
consultant at the Nomura Research Institute
Although there are no official statistics on the people rental industry in Japan, the country is home to many temporary rental services. girls, guys, friends and even family.
“This fits well with the recent needs of Japanese people who are not looking for love or marriage and do not want the hassle of such relationships, but want someone with whom they can freely go on dates or have dinner,” Ai Sakata, a consultant at Nomura Research, told CNBC Institute.
Not only about loneliness
Loneliness may be the reason some people pay for such services, but it's not the only reason, say Morimoto and experts interviewed by CNBC.
Some people may crave company, but others may simply feel “socially awkward,” said Hiroshi Ono, a professor of human resources at Hitotsubashi University.
Most Japanese people are not necessarily good at confrontation or even direct communication, the professor added. “People might just feel awkward to say, 'Will you be my friend?' To avoid this awkwardness, they are simply willing to pay for it.”
Shoji Morimoto at the train station waves goodbye to a customer who asked to say goodbye.
Shoji Morimoto
Morimoto said that on one occasion, a woman paid him to sit in the corner of a café, within her line of sight, and hand her husband divorce papers – without drawing his attention. The signing of the papers went smoothly, and Morimoto said the divorcee gained an extra dose of courage by having someone she knew nearby.
The 41-year-old noted that his presence serves as a kind of security and temporarily allows social contact with people who do not feel comfortable in certain places.
“There are many different (favorite) moments in this job, such as when I receive a message with an offer, when I meet a client, when I accompany a client to an unknown place, when I just listen to a story and feel happy every moment,” Morimoto said.
“I really didn't want to do anything else,” he said.
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