Others might be interested in a much-needed trade and pursue careers that help the country’s manufacturing sector. Whatever you chose in life, we bet that you never thought you could make a living by doing nothing. But that is exactly what a man from Tokyo is doing. Being paid roughly $100 per job, he does, well… nothing.
Here’s the backstory
Like most working-age people, Shoji Morimoto set out to earn a steady salary after completing his graduate degree. After many failed interviews and walking out on a publishing job, Morimoto found inspiration in the unlikeliest of ways. Hearing of a person who didn’t have a job but getting free meals every day, he decided that he too can do nothing for a reward. He created a Twitter account and advertised his services as “rent-a-person who does nothing.” Doing it for free at first, Morimoto started to charge around $100 as the requests started to flood in. He now has over 270,000 followers on Twitter and is even rented by customers regularly — with one person renting him to do nothing at least 10 times.
Why does it matter to you?
Sometimes you just need somebody to talk to, whether it is a friendly face or a stranger. And that seems to be the recurring theme for most of Morimoto’s customers. The bulk of his requests consist of accompanying his customers to places where they don’t want to go by themselves. These have included adult entertainment shops, hospitals and meeting someone for the first time through dating apps. What does $100 per job get you? Once rented, Morimoto will pretty much show up and remain silent — like a background character. When spoken to, he will provide answers but won’t get overly involved in the conversation.
Bottom line
No matter what you do in life, there will be some work involved. While Morimoto is paid to “do nothing,” he technically must do something, even if it’s just showing up. While not completely original, Morimoto’s idea proves that quick-thinking, research and identifying a gap in the market is crucial to success. But the most important takeaway from his endeavor? In as trying times as we find ourselves in, we should be there for one another. Now more than ever. Talk to your neighbor, check up on friends and call your family. It’s doesn’t need to be in-person either. Technology has made communication so much easier over the last few months, and connecting with loved ones can happen at the press of a button.
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