Dream Job: Japanese Man Paid For Doing 'Nothing' Now Does It For Free

Shoji Morimoto, 39, established his distinctive "rental person" business in 2018, and until recently, he has received compensation for his services, having been hired over 4,000 times. However, the innovative entrepreneur has now announced that he no longer charges his clients money to spend time with him.

“We are starting a service called ‘People who don’t rent anything,’” Shoji posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) in September, 2023.

“Please use it in situations where the presence of just one person is required, such as stores that are difficult to enter alone, adjusting the number of people for games, and finding a spot for cherry blossom viewing. The price is free,” the post continued.

Now, clients can enjoy the privilege of having Morimoto in their company only by covering his travel expenses and any food and drink consumed during their meeting.

Regrettably, individuals seeking profound conversations or the development of a personal relationship are out of luck.

“I can’t do anything other than give you a very simple response,” the Japanese businessman wrote in his post.

The shift in business strategy stems from Morimoto's self-interest, as he candidly revealed in his recently published memoir, "Rental Person Who Does Nothing"  it's simply fun for him.

In his book, Morimoto expressed, "Do-nothing Rental gives me a similar kind of passive entertainment, even though, in this case, I'm the service provider rather than the service user," as reported.

How much does Shoji Morimoto charges per meet-up?

Morimoto used to charge approximately $68 per session, equivalent to 10,000 Japanese yen for spending time with various clients and engaging in various activities.

Before the onset of COVID-19, he disclosed that he earned nearly $300 daily. As the pandemic subsided and lockdown restrictions eased his business started to recover.

Throughout the years, clients have hired him for a range of activities from regular coffee meet-ups and social interactions to more peculiar sessions.

Shoji Morimoto's experience with his clients

Morimoto even shared an experience where he was hired to assist a wife in searching through the depths of online dating sites to find her husband.

Morimoto also recounted an experience where he had to accompany a client to file their divorce papers in court.

In peculiar instances, he has been hired to be present for clients during deeply personal moments.

He shared that he once bid farewell to a client departing from a train station and on another occasion welcomed a client at the finish line of a marathon.

Boundaries set by Shoji Morimoto

Despite critics labeling him a "new-age gigolo," the astute entrepreneur maintains firm boundaries with his clients.

Notably, he strictly adheres to a policy of no sexual involvement. As a married man with children, Morimoto disclosed in his book that he once declined a client's request for a sexual encounter.

Another firm boundary for him is attending pop concerts.

“I’ve turned down a number of requests to go to pop concerts too,” he wrote in his book.

“I don’t know much about music, and most of the concerts I’ve been asked to go along to have been by artists I’ve never heard of,” it continued.

He has also declined offers to move a refrigerator and travel to Cambodia.

The self-described "introvert" suggested that being hired to provide companionship aligns well with his personality. A client, Aruna Chida, a 27-year-old data analyst from Japan, shared that she hired him for her company so that she wouldn't feel the pressure to "entertain" him as she would with her real friends.

“With my friends, I feel I have to entertain them,” Chida said of Morimoto’s service in 2022. “But with the rental guy, I don’t feel the need to be chatty.”

“It’s funny that someone like Rental Person should be in demand. I suppose you could say my lack of individuality has become my ‘product,’” Morimoto wrote.