A Japanese man who was once fired for “not doing anything” of value now earns ₹69 lakh annually for doing nothing. The 41-year-old, Morimoto, widely known in Japan as the rental “do nothing” guy, offers his services to strangers who simply want companionship in a non-romantic way.
Though unconventional, the requests he receives vary greatly—from joining a client on a video call to provide company while she cleans her room, to waiting at the finish line of a marathon for a runner.
Speaking to CNBC Make It, Morimoto shared one instance where a client, unable to attend a concert with a friend, hired him to take her place. His unique service has made him extremely popular, receiving around 1,000 requests annually to “do nothing.” Morimoto allows his clients to decide how much they wish to pay him.
Get paid to do nothing
Morimoto’s services don’t come cheap. Initially, he charged between ₹5,400 and ₹16,200 for two to three hours. However, he later switched to a pay-as-you-wish model. “I charge 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,” Morimoto said, explaining that his goal was to “simply live life and enjoy it.”
According to Morimoto, many people hire him because they find his presence comforting, particularly in situations where they struggle to socialize. Remarkably, he often doesn’t even need to actively engage with his clients to fulfill their requests.
“Feel happy in every moment”
Morimoto shared that a woman once hired him to sit quietly in a corner of a café, within her line of vision, while she informed her husband of her decision to file for divorce.
“There are many different [favourite] moments in this job, such as 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 in every moment. There was nothing else I truly wanted to do,” he said.
