The Japanese Man Is Paid To “Do Nothing.”

Ever struggled to get a friend to go somewhere with you for no specific reason? A 38-year-old Japanese guy nicknamed “Rental-Do-Nothing-Man,” Shoji Morimoto may hold the key to the problem.

Morimoto, as his name implies, rents himself out to, in his own words, “do nothing” to provide a somewhat unusual rental service to his clients in Tokyo.

Shoji Morimoto describes himself as the “Rental-Do-Nothing-Man” and offers his services to people who want to hire him to do nothing. “I go to areas where I am asked to, and I do nothing there,” he says.

Although there are companies that let you hire actors to play with your friend or even your complete family, such rental services are not unheard of in Japan. Morimoto, on the other hand, stands out for his “effort-free” approach rather than for adopting a specific character.

Morimoto clarified, “By doing nothing, I mean that I eat and drink (with my clients) and respond to their simple queries with simple answers.

Morimoto claimed on his Twitter page in 2018 that he had been hired more than 4,000 times since the start of his business to provide his services, primarily to dine with clients, go to events, and occasionally offer a sympathetic ear. Morimoto currently has around 25,000 Twitter followers, and 25% of his clients are repeat customers, including one woman who has hired him 270 times.

Each reservation for Morimoto’s services will cost 10,000 yen ($71.20). He stated that he won’t start a conversation but would give clear responses if necessary. He bills clients for his food if the assignment occurs within a meal period, in addition to his fee and transportation costs.

Morimoto frequently has three jobs booked each day despite providing what could seem to be a specialized service.

One such client is data researcher Aruna Chida, who discovered Morimoto while his business was trending on social media. The 27-year-old, a former Mumbai resident, had bought a sari and was anxious to wear it in public, but she was reluctant to invite her friends because they “might feel humiliated.” Instead, she chose to hire Morimoto to go with her for afternoon tea while she was dressed in an Indian outfit.

She paid for Morimoto’s services, nevertheless, for more than just that.

With my friends, I sometimes feel like I have to keep them entertained, but with ‘Mr. Rental,’ (Morimoto), I feel like I don’t have to speak much, and I can be silent (whenever I want),” Chida said.

Another client, who preferred to remain anonymous and go by the nickname “Kusa,” stated she was having a difficult day at work and needed to do something unique to cheer herself up. So, in October 2020, while dressed as Pikachu, the 33-year-old government worker asked Morimoto to accompany her to a curry dinner. She again hired him to invite him into her life.

Morimoto has turned down a number of requests as his fame has grown. Morimoto has previously refused customers who wanted to take him to Trinidad and Tobago and those who asked him to help them move, in addition to his general denial of any requests that are sexual.