Morimoto in Rental Person who does nothing, chronicles his unique experiences in his line of work and reflects on how we consider relationships, job, and family in our search for meaningful connection and purpose in life.

Morimoto was constantly being told that he was a do-nothing because he lacked initiative which resulted him being dispirited and unemployed. It then occurred to him, if he was so good at doing nothing, perhaps he could turn into a business, and tweet later, he began his business of renting himself out … to do nothing.

The mere idea of working accomplishing tasks, being around colleague, having a boss, just did not feel right for Morimoto and hence he became a Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Pay Morimoto’s transport and he’ll be there for you doing nothing.

Morimoto has now turned his experience of doing nothing into a book.  Morimoto goes to the station with a woman, who is leaving Tokyo after 10 years and does not want to do so alone but would find having friends with her too emotional. Morimoto sits in a man’s house and listens to him confess to being a cult member, a secret he felt he had to divulge to someone.

Morimoto reveals the loneliness permeating modern society and  he mentions his older brother who has never worked and his older sister killed herself following a job rejection.

Rental Person is a proud history of people turning idleness into a way of life and provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. Sitting with a client undergoing surgery, accompanying a newly-divorced client to her favourite restaurant, visiting the site of a client’s suicide attempt are just a few of his thousands of true life adventures. He is dependable, non-judgmental and committed to  remaining a stranger and the curious encounters he shares are revelatory about both Japanese society and human psychology.

Morimoto’s itemizes 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 of life.

Rental Person Who Does Nothing: A Memoir by Shoji Morimoto, Picador £14.99, 160 pages