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Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To ‘Do Nothing’, Gets Thousands Of Customers

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Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To ‘Do Nothing’, Gets Thousands Of Customers

Offers a safe space with no judgment and no strings.
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A day in the life of someone with no job will naturally be filled with boredom and frustration. However, this isn’t the case with Shoji Morimoto, a Japanese man who earns a living doing nothing in particular. Throughout his 38years, Morimoto had been familiarized with being told by his family, classmates, and co-workers he was a do-nothing. 

38-Year-Old Shoji Morimoto earns a fortune doing nothing in particular.

Right after college and having shuttle through one job after another, the self-described slacker in 2018 launched a Twitter account with the description “Do Nothing Rent-A-Man,” [レンタルなんもしない人] and started offering diffident companionship. According to The Independent, Morimoto schedules up to three appointments every day and has completed over 3000 so far.

Morimoto, living in Tokyo offers himself on rent and people pay him to join them in activities.

Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To 'Do Nothing', Gets Thousands Of Customers
via morimotoshoji/Twitter

He told CBS News: “I lend myself out to do nothing, which means I don’t make any special effort. I don’t initiate conversation. I replay to chitchat, but that’s it.” Morimoto often turns down requests to help clean houses, “be a friend,” do laundry, make scintillating banter, pose n*de and visit a haunted house. But then, he has stood in the cold to be an audience for a struggling street musician.

Morimoto schedules up to three appointments every day and has since completed over 3000.

Morimoto has also accompanied self-conscious people on outings to shops and restaurants, including sharing a cake with a lonely soul on a birthday. He added: “People use me in different ways. Some people are lonesome. Some feel it’s a shame to go somewhere (interesting) alone – they want someone to share their impressions with.”

He turns down requests to help clean houses, “be a friend,” do laundry, pose n*de and visit a haunted house.

Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To 'Do Nothing', Gets Thousands Of Customers
via morimotoshoji/Twitter

“What’s amazing is the huge variety of personalities, circumstances, and situations. That’s striking to me almost every day.” Morimoto had earlier told Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper that he’s not a friend or an acquaintance but free of the bothersome things that accompany relationships but can ease people’s sense of loneliness.

The main idea behind his job was to make himself available to those struggling with loneliness.

Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To 'Do Nothing', Gets Thousands Of Customers
via morimotoshoji/Twitter

 On a recent weekday, he came across a woman in her 30s, and after perfunctory greetings, the duo sat down to sip coffee in silence. The woman, who requested anonymity, reportedly stated that Mr. Rental [Morimoto] offered a safe space with no judgment, no strings, and no talking. She added: “Japanese women tend to worry about what others think and about not burdening others. It’s exhausting. So being freed of this obsessing is valuable.”

The popularity of his service makes him earn lakhs monthly.

The idea of offering to be an addition at restaurants or on shopping trips is not strange in Japan, but Morimoto is perhaps the first to entertain a wide range of assignments for nothing more than the cost of carefree and, if needed, meals. His experiences have earned him a living, and interestingly, he has written four books about providing moral support while a client filed for divorce, a manga comic, and about joining clients for a few hours at a café or an outing.

Morimoto offers his clients, who’re mostly women a safe space with no judgment, no strings, and no talking.

Morimoto is perhaps the first-ever to entertain a wide range of assignments for nothing more than the cost of carefree and, if needed, meals.

Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To 'Do Nothing', Gets Thousands Of Customers
via Mainichi/Mei Nammo

While his clientele is primarily females, some of the often-poignant stories are from men who had ached for a total stranger’s ear. There was a young man, stuck in a soul-draining office job, who had asked Morimoto to meet him on the swings after work to briefly relieve the joy of being alive. Nonetheless, Mr. Rental’s signature props, a blue cap, backpack, and inexplicable minor fame inspired a 12-part semi-fictionalized Amazon Prime Series in 2021.

However, Morimoto’s signature props, including a blue cap have inspired a sem- fictionalized Prime Series.

Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To 'Do Nothing', Gets Thousands Of Customers
via Amazon Prime

Morimoto [ a married dad of one] also spoke to CBS News about the cruel remarks he has received. “Critics say, ‘Get a job! But I don’t feel the need to answer anyone. They’re entitled to their opinions.” On the other hand, Tamami Miyazaki, 44, – one of Morimoto’s clients, had said: “With a friend, you have to worry about whether they would like the bar or not. But with Rental-san, he just says straight-up ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ It’s less drama than going out with a friend.” 

Here’s How People Have Since Reacted To Morimoto’s Lifestyle:

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