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Shoji Morimoto’s day job involves lending money to strangers looking for someone’s company for just about anything.
Lee Ying Shan
When Shoji Morimoto was fired from his office job in 2018, his superior criticized him for lacking initiative and “did nothing” of value to the company. Joke is on him, because Morimoto, now 41, has since had a lucrative career doing nothing.
Known as the “do-nothing” rent guy in Japan, Morimoto’s day job involves lending to foreigners looking for someone’s company for just about anything. These questions can range from waiting for a marathon at the finish line, to being video-called while a bored client redecorates and cleans his room. Once, a client who could not attend a concert with a friend hired Morimoto to take his place.
Shoji Morimoto reserves a spot for his client in a park.
Shoji Morimoto
From the ridiculous to the mundane, Morimoto would simply show up and “do nothing” other than what he was asked to do – except sex.
“I have been put in objectively difficult situations, such as standing in line under the blazing sun, standing for hours in the freezing cold, attending parties with only strangers, and standing alone on a stage in front of a large audience without performing nothing,” said the father of a seven-year-old boy CNBC Make It.
“However, no matter the misfortune that I experienced, I feel that it is something special that happened only because I do this work, so I can still cherish it,” he said.
He is not a therapist
Morimoto’s longest single job was a 17-hour journey sitting on the same railway line, end to end, from early morning until the last train. “We did 13 laps on the Yamanote line (train station),” he said.
There are also many requests for Morimoto to be a listener on bad days of customers. However, when it comes to conversations, Morimoto offers the bare minimum and simplest of responses. In other words, listen and listen carefully, but make it a point not to play therapist.
Morimoto told CNBC that he receives about 1,000 requests a year, and lets his customers decide how much to pay. He charges a flat fee of between 10,000 yen and 30,000 yen ($65 to $195) for a two- to three-hour session, and earned about $80,000 last year.
Morimoto introduced the pay-as-you-go model at the end of last year.
“I paid a voluntary fee, so I don’t know if it will be sustainable, but I’m having fun trying to see if it’s sustainable,” said Morimoto, who added that his goal was not to make a living or keep up. but for “simply live life and enjoy it”.
CNBC accompanied Morimoto for two hours, taking him to a piglet cafe in Tokyo where customers can have a drink and interact with the piglets.
Lee Ying Shan
To put his services to the test, CNBC Make It accompanied Morimoto for two hours, taking him to a piglet cafe in Tokyo where customers can have a drink and interact with litters of piglets.
I had originally planned to go by myself, but walking into a full cafe and seeing customers in pairs and small groups made me feel a tinge of relief that I had Morimoto’s company.
There was another advantage: he could take pictures of me playing with the pigs.
After a few initial exchanges in my broken Japanese and translation assistance from Google, no more small talk was needed as I left them to their devices and focused on my pig. So I realized Morimoto’s appeal: Customers like me can enjoy an activity in a social environment without being judged for going it alone. Even better, I don’t feel obligated to hold a conversation with someone when I’m really just for the pigs.
This is a good match with the recent needs of the Japanese, who are not looking for love or marriage, and do not want the hassle of such relationships, but want someone who can casually go on dates or dinner with.
Hey Sakata
consultant at Nomura Research Institute
While there are no official statistics tracking the rental industry in Japan, the country is home to a number of temporary rental services. girlfriends, boyfriends, friends and also family.
“This is a good match with the recent needs of the Japanese, who are not looking for love or marriage, and do not want the hassle of such relationships, but want someone who can casually go on dates or have dinner with”, Ai Sakata . , consultant at Nomura Research Institute told CNBC.
Not just about loneliness
Loneliness may be a reason that some pay for such services, but it is not the only one, said Morimoto and CNBC experts spoke.
Some individuals may crave company, but others may just be a little “socially awkward,” said Hiroshi Ono, a professor of human resources at Hitotsubashi University.
Most Japanese do not necessarily deal well with confrontation, or even direct communication, the professor added. “People are perhaps too ungrateful to say, will you be my friend? And so, to avoid that mackerel, they’re just willing to pay for it.
Shoji Morimoto at a train station greeting a customer who asked to say goodbye.
Shoji Morimoto
Morimoto said a woman once paid her to sit in a corner of a cafe, in her line of sight, while she served divorce papers to her husband – without drawing her attention. The paper signing went well, and Morimoto said the divorcee got an extra dose of courage from having someone she knew nearby.
Their presence serves as a sort of security blanket, temporarily socializing those who are uncomfortable in certain environments, observed the 41-year-old.
“There are many different ones [favorite] moments in this job, like when I receive an offer message, when I meet a client, when I accompany a client to an unknown place, when I just listen to a story, and I feel happy every moment,” said Morimoto.
“There was nothing else I really wanted to do,” he said.
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