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Shoji Morimoto’s international bestseller “Rental Person Who Does Nothing” ($21.99, Hanover Square Press,) is finally available in the United States. The Japanese author became an accidental sensation after offering his Rental Person services on Twitter (now renamed X). The married father offers nothing inappropriate or illegal. Some clients will ask him to accompany them for a meal, so they don’t have to eat alone. Another will ask that he watches them as they write, so they won’t procrastinate. Morimoto has worked as a dependable and nonjudgmental stranger since 2018.

“The percentage of my personal life has decreased considerably,” he said, via an interpreter. “This is because I need to have more time outside for my work, rather than spending quiet time at home with just my family. However, it does not mean that I prefer either time more than the other. Both ways in which I spend time are equally important."

For more information on Morimoto’s book, check out his publisher’s site at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/rental-person-who-does-nothing-shoji-morimoto?variant=41046832840738. He stays in touch with readers on X (https://twitter.com/morimotoshoji) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/morimoto_shoji/).

Q: Why do you think your services are necessary?

A: Because the client can use my presence to accomplish something valuable for them, by his or her own design. The ways in which they make use of my presence vary, but the common thread is that my presence, which does nothing, does not interfere with the client's plans compared to that of other people who do something. Even if some of my actions may temporarily help the client, they can sometimes be an impediment to the client in the long term.

Q: Have you run into a client when you were out working with another client?

A: There have been several times. When I accompanied a client to the Takarazuka Grand Theater to see a play, I ran into a Takarazuka fan [of the all-female troupe] who had hired me in the past. We were surprised and pleased to see each other. On another occasion, when I accompanied an artist to a concert, I also ran into a client who was a fan of that artist and we reacted in a similar way. When we run into each other on the street, we feel a higher degree of "coincidence," so we tend to be more surprised and excited.

Q: What was a trip you took as a child that stands out?

A: I remember very well about when my family went to Tokyo Disneyland. My father, who was always strict, bought me a magic stick-like toy and performed tricks for me in the hotel room. That memory still comes to mind. That trip was a good memory, but it is not that I liked all of the many trips I took. Depending on the mood of my father, mother, brother or sister at the time, sometimes it wasn’t a good atmosphere.

Q: What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

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