Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Shoji Morimoto
Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Shoji Morimoto
2 Rating(s)
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Rental Person Who Does Nothing
The True Adventures of Japan""s Do-Nothing Rental Person

Author: Shoji Morimoto

Narrator: Kevin Shen

Unabridged: 3 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/09/2024


Synopsis

***Now an International Bestseller!***

"Distinctively Japanese musings on meaning and connection."—Observer

I'm starting a service... available for any situation in which all you want is a person to be there. Maybe there's a restaurant you want to go to, but you feel awkward going on your own.

Maybe a game you want to play, but you're one person short.

Or perhaps you'd like someone to keep a space in the park for your cherry blossom viewing party...

Shoji Morimoto was constantly being told by his boss, "It makes no difference whether you’re here or not," and that his presence contributed nothing to the company. Morimoto began to wonder whether a person who "does nothing" could still have actual value and a place in the world. Perhaps he could turn "doing nothing" into a service? With one tweet, Rental Person was born.

Rental Person provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. This book details thousands of his true-life adventures:Accompanying a divorcee to her favorite restaurantWaving goodbye to a client from the train platformSitting in the courtroom during a client’s trialSupporting a client during a difficult surgeryRental Person is dependable, nonjudgmental and committed to remaining a stranger, and the curious encounters he shares are revelatory about both Japanese society and human psychology.

In Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Morimoto chronicles his extraordinary experiences in his unique line of work and reflects on how we consider relationships, jobs and family in our search for meaningful connection and purpose in life.

About Shoji Morimoto

Shoji Morimoto was born in 1984. He began working as a rental person who does nothing in 2018 and has since been hired by more than 4,000 people. He has been profiled by many media outlets worldwide and has also inspired a TV series. Morimoto lives in Japan with his wife and son.


Reviews

Goodreads review by emma on June 03, 2024

goals. except not really. having to interact with strangers every day for no money and subsisting off of amazon gift cards and my wife's generosity sounds like my nightmare. i thought this would be an interesting exploration of society, and what constitutes a job, and what we value and what we don't.......more

Goodreads review by Liong on February 23, 2024

Something new I learned about the Rental Person's job. I find this book very interesting because of its innovative concept. It may seem strange to have a job where you do nothing, but it's actually quite challenging. As the "Rental Person," Shoji might encounter clients with peculiar requests and find......more

Goodreads review by Emily on September 27, 2023

3.5 (thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy) I first heard about Rental Person Who Does Nothing from a video on YouTube so when I saw this available I was intrigued to read it. If nothing else, Rental Person Who Does Nothing is interesting, the concept itself but also the type......more

Goodreads review by Shreya on October 15, 2023

In 2023, I completed my masters degree in law and I was job-less post graduation. I did not spend the year before looking for a job because I did not want to continue hustling and grinding. I just wanted to study and enjoy my academic life. But this put me in a job-less situation and I was beginning......more

Goodreads review by Krista on September 17, 2023

@morimotoshoji I’m starting a service called Do-nothing Rental. It’s available for any situation in which all you want is a person to be there. Maybe there’s a restaurant you want to go to, but you feel awkward going on your own. Maybe a game you want to play, but you’re one person short. Or perh......more