Shoji Morimoto Spreads Happiness with Mere Presence and Charges for It

“Someone’s curse has become another’s boon” is a phrase often used to refer to a misfortune or setback leading to an unexpected positive outcome. This is exactly what happened in the life of 38-year-old Shoji Morimoto, a Tokyoite who is well-known for his rental service.

What Morimoto offers is something unique. He offers his physical presence to lonely people who are desperately longing for an affectionate friendship, a waving goodbye, a smile, or an appreciation. Morimoto shows up on occasions when someone is leaving at a railway station, while someone is having coffee, or while someone is being dressed up with new clothes and extends his wishes. For this, he charges 10,000 yen (or $85).

However, for those who rent him, these moments are the most cherished possessions, and they call Morimoto “Rental-san.”

Despite holding a postgraduate degree in physics from Osaka University, Morimoto initially pursued a traditional career before transitioning to his current profession.

“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.”

“I think when people are feeling vulnerable or are in their intimate moments, they become more sensitive toward people that are close to them, like how they will be perceived, or the kind of actions they will take for them,” said Morimoto. “So I think they want to just reach out to a stranger without any strings attached.”

However, while celebrating Morimoto’s story, the media ignores one of the most critical problems that the Tokyo community faces, which is loneliness of the people. The incremental demand for Morimoto’s service calls for a solution to this problem.