Shoji Morimoto is a 38-year-old Tokyo resident. He charges 10,000 yen (about 71 USD) each time he accompanies a client without doing anything else.
“Basically, I rent myself out. My job is to be wherever the client wants and not do anything else,” Morimoto told Reuters.
Over the past four years, this man with a unique job has been hired about 4,000 times.
Standing tall with an average appearance, Morimoto has nearly 250,000 followers on Twitter, where most of his clients come from. About a quarter of those who try his service come back, with some hiring him up to 270 times.
Morimoto’s work varies, like taking clients to the park to play on swings or smiling and waving through a window to see off a client.
Doing nothing doesn’t mean Morimoto will do anything. He has refused requests to move a refrigerator or travel to Cambodia. He also does not accept any sexual-related requests.
Last week, Morimoto sat across from Aruna Chida, a 27-year-old data analyst wearing a sari (a traditional and beloved Indian garment wrapped in various styles). They chatted while enjoying tea and sweets.
Chida wanted to wear Indian clothing in public but worried it might embarrass her friends. So she decided to hire Morimoto as her companion.
“With my friends, dressing like this might make me look ridiculous, but with this guy, I feel like I don’t have to explain anything,” Chida said.
Before discovering this unusual job, Morimoto worked at a publishing company where he was often criticized for “doing nothing.”
“I started wondering what would happen if I offered my ability to ‘do nothing’ as a service to clients,” Morimoto explained.
This job is now Morimoto’s only source of income to support his wife and children. Although he won’t reveal how much he earns, he says he sees one or two clients daily. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was three or four.
The strange nature of Morimoto’s work contrasts with a society that values productivity and looks down on idleness, especially in Japan.
“People tend to think my ‘doing nothing’ has value because it benefits others… But really, doing nothing is okay. People don’t always have to be useful in any specific way,” Morimoto said.
