Celebrity Travel: Go away with Shoji Morimoto

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?

A: We should not stamp our feet in vain.

Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?

A: Food t rucks. I have little interest in eating, so I choose the quicker option.

Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A: Wandering around the calm streets of the Marunouchi neighborhood of Tokyo Station, or relaxing at a café near my home.

Q: If you've ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?

A: Five years ago, I went to Karuizawa with my wife and son. I have good memories of the spacious outlet mall right next to Karuizawa station, where my then one-year-old son, who had just started walking, was practicing his walking comfortably.

Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?

A: I speak English only a tiniest bit in situations where it is absolutely necessary. I am not good at learning new languages.

Q: What are your five favorite cities?

A: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Naha, Nagoya.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Egypt.

Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A: Smartphone, mobile battery, my hat.

Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A: The weather and temperature of the destination, where and when to meet up with the person to meet. Also, transportation access to the place where the client will stay.

Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A: The best was the Moominvalley Park that I visited with my wife and son just last month. My son and I had a great time cheering on my wife as she tried ziplining for the first time. But the best is often updated. The worst was Tokyo, where I went alone when I was a student. I just wandered the streets of Shinjuku in solitude and stayed at an internet cafe at night. It was a lonely, uncomfortable, and desolate trip. I don't really remember why I did that.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow “Go Away With…” on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)