Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join as a sustainer and be entered to win a trip to costa rica!

For $85 Japan's 'Do-Nothing Guy' can substitute for a client

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. Thirty-eight-year-old Shoji Morimoto of Tokyo is there for you - as in for $85, you can pay Morimoto to show up and stand there. He's waited at a finish line to cheer on a customer running a marathon. He's been hired to go to dinner with clients who don't want to eat alone. He even accompanied a client to their surgery consultation. Morimoto told The Washington Post he meets daily with clients. For a guy dubbed Japan's Do-Nothing Guy, he appears to be pretty busy showing up. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.