Here’s An Unusual Job: A Japanese Man Rents Himself Out To People Who Are Lonely And Need A Friend
With all of the cRAzIneSS in the world lately, we could use a little palette cleanser to rinse out all of the bad stuff going on all around us.
This could be genius or completely weird. Shoji Morimoto, a 37-year old Japanese guy living in Tokyo, is renting himself out. I know what you’re thinking…and he’s not doing that. It’s completely innocent.
Morimoto accepts requests from people who want a little help or companionship. His self-rental business states, “I will lend you a person (me) who does nothing.” His nontraditional job seems to have resonated with people as his Twitter account has over 260,000 followers.
A session with Morimoto costs the equivalent of under $100 U.S. dollars. He does require an extra fee for transportation and food. The self-rental guy meets with a few people each day and spends around two to three hours with them.
He says, “During the services, I accompany my customers on whatever they need me for. I answer their questions, listen to them, nod when needed.” Morimoto has watched movies with clients, went on a helicopter ride and visited Disneyland. He listened to a cheater’s confession, tagged along with a person who was submitting divorce papers and consoled a patient in the hospital who had attempted suicide.
Morimoto didn’t grow up wanting to be a wingman to lonely people and just fell into it. He said about his unusual career, “I used to carry around this complex, that I need to do something, but I’m not good at anything. I tried a bunch of things that I thought I’d be suitable for, but nothing stuck. So I thought, ‘I’m not suited to do anything, maybe I’m more suited to do nothing.’”
It’s sweet, yet sad at the same time. Morimoto says about the people he spends time with, “I think the reason why people demand my services depends on the customer’s circumstances. I think it comes down to needing ‘the presence of one human being’ in a given situation.”
This could be the beginning of a big business. Now, more than ever, most of us are isolated and alone. We’re no longer enjoying the camaraderie of co-workers at the office. Going to concerts, sporting events, bars and restaurants with large groups of friends is verboten. Even major holidays, such as Christmas and New Years Eve, became solitary events.
Maybe we all need a Morimoto to keep us company once in a while when we’re feeling lonely and sad.