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Loneliness is the new epidemic taking control of people’s happiness. Despite our close ones being just a tap away, we have grown distant from each other. While the majority of the population is suffering from it, one man in Japan is earning lakhs by taking advantage of people’s loneliness. Meet Morimoto, the man who earns money by doing nothing. As ironic as it sounds, it is true and it highlights the increasing momentum of loneliness in the masses.
Japanese man Shoji Morimoto is earning approximately $80,000 (about Rs 66 lakh) by accompanying people in a non-romantic way. He provides a platonic companionship to people who hire him. Morimoto told CNBC Make It that he was fired from his job back in 2018 because he was accused of “not doing anything” for the company. Instead of taking it to heart, he turned it into a lucrative career option.
Now 41, Morimoto supports his clients with various requests, from waiting for a marathon runner to cross the finish line to receiving video calls while a bored client organizes and decorates her room, stated CNBC.
However, Morimoto is not a bachelor. He is the father of a seven-year-old kid. Popularly known as the rental “do nothing” guy, Morimoto told CNBC, “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 doing anything.”
He further added, “However, no matter what misfortune I have experienced, I feel that it is something special that only happened because I do this job, so I can still cherish it.”
Morimoto also lends a keen ear to his clients, careful not to play a therapist in the conversations. He listens to their stories and replies with short answers.