Has anyone found this guy's Twitter handle? That would be one way to check the story. Probably easier for a Japanese speaker to locate.
https://twitter.com/morimotoshoji
Obviously the existence of the Twitter handle is just the first step in some kind of real verification. But it does confirm that, if it's a con, it's a long lived, dedicated one.
"I'm starting a service called 'rental person who does nothing'. [For example] for stores where entering alone is difficult[0], for matching the number of players in a game, to hold a hanami[1] spot. Please only use it for cases where one person is needed. I charge 10,000 yen, plus transportation fare from Kokubunji station, and food and drink (if applicable). I won't do anything other than very simple responses."
So it's not strictly a listening service per se.
[0] in Japan, there are food stores that are geared towards couples
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami (the context here is holding a picnic spot)
> "People rent him for various reasons. At times he will participate in a gaming session to make up numbers, turn up to send off people who are moving away, accompany those filing for divorce, or listen to health care workers who have become mentally unwell due to their exhausting work."
Yeah, I agree, but it seems like people are drawing parallels to emotional support things like that rent-a-family thing. While they are both extremely unusual gigs, it seems like this guy's interactions would at best be just nodding along, rather than reciprocating (even if in a fake way).
I also should say that this work is very different from "rent a girl" work.