Could You Be A ‘Do Nothing’ Person?
Rental Person Who Does Nothing started out as a social experiment, at least from how I understand it, whose results were shared on Twitter in bite-size summaries. Shoji Morimoto advertised his services on Twitter, stating:
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…
Not to long after, the requests came flooding in and I, as the reader, embarked on an interesting social experiment with Shoji. As I read, I kept thinking, “A woman wouldn’t do this, for safety reasons” and “if he was single, instead of a married father of one, he may be viewed as creepy and with plenty of side eye glances.” Instead, he finds he isn’t viewed with trepidation tinged with fear. Shoji makes it very apparent that he doesn’t intend to stay out at all, in all actuality, he strives to blend into the background and be as unassuming as possible, so that his client’s may take the spotlight and have all his attention. He doesn’t ask for much, just travel expenses, and an understanding that he will leave the country, if needed, but the client must foot the bill.
Reading this, you may think that Shoji is having a unique response to a midlife crisis because he had a successful job as a salaryman, had his first child, and was really settling into being a Tokyoite, and then he goes and does this. However, he is intentional and thoughtful about how the next chapter in his life will play out and it just so happens that he stumbles upon something that he is good at, doing nothing, while filling a niche need for others, which is being a sounding board or a silent companion to those who have no ties to him, and therefore, feel freer with their thoughts and actions. With Shoji, you can be yourself without any reservations or judgements, which is a freeing experience. Everyone wears a different mask, depending on what the situation calls for, and adjusts their personalities to fit what is asked of them. Only behind the close doors of their personal space can a person truly be themselves. It is out of the ordinary to let your true self spill in front of a stranger, but it also makes sense because they don’t know you, which means they have no expectations of you or predetermined judgements.
I thought about if this could work in the United States, in a city as big as Tokyo, and my first thought was, “that person will get murdered,” so it is fitting that this experiment took place in a Japan, a society that is relatively safe for its people and travelers. But what does it say about the depravity of the United States that we can’t have a taskrabbit ‘Do Nothing’ Rental person without immediately picturing someone getting their organs stolen or being jumped? Is this a reflection on individualistic vs collectivistic societies? But hiring a ‘Do Nothing’ person is an individualistic action because it serves you, not a larger group as a whole.I really liked this book, and I appreciate that it was short. Shoji Morimoto emphasized at the beginning of each chapter the type of person he is, which is important to note because not everyone can be a Rental Person. According to Shoji, it takes someone who is average, doesn't want to stand out in the crowd, but is also unintimidating, and puts others at ease. As I powered through each chapter, I wondered if I could be a Rental Person, but as Shoji makes it clear, it is for those who need the support of their partner and are willing to only live off their savings and accept travel expenses. I found this book to be an interesting experiment in the study of human relationships, behavior, fear, etc. and Japan is the perfect test lab because over the years many things have been said about Japan that makes them an odd yet fitting character for this experiment. For example, Japan's high suicide rate, but low domestic assault events (School shootings, stabbings, mass murder). The high percentage of single people who don't want to get married and/or have kids, but a dedicated workforce. Living in a bustling city yet feeling so isolated; Japan is a wonderful mix of pros and cons that really demonstrate the myriad of layers that is the human experience. Placing Shoji amidst all of this as a seen, but unseen bystander allows the reader to feel like they are watching an episode unfold.
I really liked this book, and I appreciate that it was short. Shoji Morimoto emphasized at the beginning of each chapter the type of person he is, which is important to note because not everyone can be a Rental Person. According to Shoji, it takes someone who is average, doesn’t want to stand out in the crowd, but is also unintimidating, and puts others at ease. As I powered through each chapter, I wondered if I could be a Rental Person, but as Shoji makes it clear, it is for those who need the support of their partner and are willing to only live off their savings and accept travel expenses. I found this book to be an interesting experiment in the study of human relationships, behavior, fear, etc. and Japan is the perfect test lab because over the years many things have been said about Japan that makes them an odd yet fitting character for this experiment. For example, Japan’s high suicide rate, but low domestic assault events (School shootings, stabbings, mass murder). The high percentage of single people who don’t want to get married and/or have kids, but a dedicated workforce. Living in a bustling city yet feeling so isolated; Japan is a wonderful mix of pros and cons that really demonstrate the myriad of layers that is the human experience. Placing Shoji amidst all of this as a seen, but unseen bystander allows the reader to feel like they are watching an episode unfold.
I really enjoyed this book and I hope that you will too. If you are interested in acquiring this book for your own enjoyment, I would recommend checking out your local library first. If they do not have a copy available, or on order, then I would encourage you to purchase your own copy from your local bookstore or bookshop.org
