Shoji Morimoto didn't actually write Rental Person Who Does Nothing, even though it's supposed to be his memoir: "A writer (S) and an editor (T) asked me questions and I gave them very simple responses." The hired writer, he humbly adds, "is not a particular fan." And yet the result, translated by Don Knotting, is a strange, utter delight: along with detached descriptions of how Morimoto does nothing, there are deeply insightful glimpses of contemporary societal, cultural, and familial disconnects, including poignant details from his own life.
Since 2018, Morimoto has been providing a service called "Do-nothing Rental." He's become a cultural phenomenon in his native Japan, with his life adapted to manga and TV programs. He's "available for any situation in which all you want is a person to be there." He'll show up at a restaurant so that a person won't have to eat alone; he'll appear at a divorce hearing; and he'll accompany someone to their grandmother's grave. Beyond showing up, he "can't do anything except give very simple responses."
Doing nothing doesn't mean Morimoto isn't accomplished: he earned a physics degree and then went to graduate school, specializing in earthquake research. "Aversion and disorientation," however, made him quit--not to mention a desire to escape his demoralizing boss. His brother "messed up his university exams and became depressed"; at over the age of 40, he remains unemployed. His sister "didn't get the job she wanted" and "killed herself." Morimoto, thankfully, has managed to thrive: "Now as Rental Person, I enjoy life and have no conflict with anyone." Certainly, those are goals for all readers. --Terry Hong