According to allthatsinteresting, even with more than 37 million residents, Japan’s bustling capital, Tokyo, can be a daunting and lonely place. 

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, countless residents had difficulty navigating their social anxieties.  Aware of the fact, Shoji Morimoto offered his services — by doing nothing at all.

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The 38-year-old has made a living by renting himself out to clients, who don’t want to be alone. 

Known as “Rental-san,” Morimoto charges 10 000 yen (or R1 100) per session.

According to The Independent, he’s done it all — from quietly accompanying divorcées to lunch to waving goodbye as a client boarded his bullet train.

“I offer myself for rent, as a person who does nothing,” he tweeted in June 2018.

“Is it difficult for you to enter a shop on your own? Are you missing a player on your team? Do you need someone to keep a place for you? I can’t do anything except easy things.”

While Morimoto initially offered his services for free, he’s since completed more than 4 000 paid requests. 

A husband and father, he maintains a dual-income household and raises his son — while his endearing social media presence has made him a national sensation and even inspired books and a television series.

While his work might suggest otherwise, Morimoto isn’t a slouch. With a postgraduate degree in physics from Osaka University, he tried long and hard to build a traditional career before his newfound job took over. After being constantly told that he lacked initiative, however, he realised that doing nothing could be a skill.

“I was often told that I wasn’t doing enough, or that I wasn’t doing anything, so this became a complex for me,” he said. “I decided to take advantage of this and make it into a business.”  

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