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alisarae 's review for:
Rental Person Who Does Nothing
by Shoji Morimoto
This book is like people watching but in a book form. I liked the stories of the different clients that Rental Person has had. They are often mundane and ordinary but it is still interesting to learn about them.
I liked thinking about the concepts too. A first impression makes it seem like many of the clients are lonely or solitary - people asking a stranger to say a prayer for them at a temple - but many of them just don't want to burden their friends and family with their requests.
Listening to a difficult or awkward personal story and talking about your problems can be a burden on others. They feel obligated to say something positive, to check back on you later, or to worry about you. Maybe you don't want that attention and you just want to tell somebody your issue so you can get it off your chest. If that sounds like "maybe they should pay a paychologist" ... maybe. But a psychologist requires a longer and more expensive commitment. Plus you are expected to do work to improve yourself. Rental Person is nearly free and will not ask anything of you in return. So, I can see the appeal.
Other people need the energy that a person's presence can bring: someone to commute to work with them the morning after a fight with their boss, or to be a neutral audience for a rehersal, or to change up the air in a business meeting.
My favorite story was the lady who was being sued for accusing her boss of sexual harrasment. She didn't want her friends and family to hear all the details of what happened but she really wanted to talk about the trial with someone afterwards. So she invited Rental Person to watch the trial and then talk about it over dinner.
Some of the appeal in Japan might be because there is such a strong culture of not being a burden on others. It's a kind of independence that is less about individualism (I don't need anyone's help) and more about how others will feel (If I ask, they will feel obligated to say yes). In cultures that rely heavily on relational debt, a small ask can really be a big ask. But even so, I think the idea of Rental Person would be interesting in Western cultures too.
I liked thinking about the concepts too. A first impression makes it seem like many of the clients are lonely or solitary - people asking a stranger to say a prayer for them at a temple - but many of them just don't want to burden their friends and family with their requests.
Listening to a difficult or awkward personal story and talking about your problems can be a burden on others. They feel obligated to say something positive, to check back on you later, or to worry about you. Maybe you don't want that attention and you just want to tell somebody your issue so you can get it off your chest. If that sounds like "maybe they should pay a paychologist" ... maybe. But a psychologist requires a longer and more expensive commitment. Plus you are expected to do work to improve yourself. Rental Person is nearly free and will not ask anything of you in return. So, I can see the appeal.
Other people need the energy that a person's presence can bring: someone to commute to work with them the morning after a fight with their boss, or to be a neutral audience for a rehersal, or to change up the air in a business meeting.
My favorite story was the lady who was being sued for accusing her boss of sexual harrasment. She didn't want her friends and family to hear all the details of what happened but she really wanted to talk about the trial with someone afterwards. So she invited Rental Person to watch the trial and then talk about it over dinner.
Some of the appeal in Japan might be because there is such a strong culture of not being a burden on others. It's a kind of independence that is less about individualism (I don't need anyone's help) and more about how others will feel (If I ask, they will feel obligated to say yes). In cultures that rely heavily on relational debt, a small ask can really be a big ask. But even so, I think the idea of Rental Person would be interesting in Western cultures too.