{"title":"Shoji Morimoto","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"rental-person-who-does-nothing-book-shoji-morimoto-9781035012800","title":"Rental Person Who Does Nothing","description":"Need a rental person who does nothing?  Shoji Morimoto provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. After an old boss told him that he contributed nothing and that it made no difference whether he showed up to work or not, he wondered if a person who ‘does nothing’ could still have a place in the world. With a tweet, his Rental Person service was born.  - Have a deep secret you desperately need to reveal, so deep that you can’t tell a friend or family member? - Have you spent a long time home alone, and want to know what it’s like to have somebody with you at your apartment? - Or for someone to simply think of you on a stressful day? Or wave to you as you leave the train station on a long journey?  Morimoto is dependable, non-judgmental and committed to remaining a stranger throughout each request, and his encounters 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.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49533736485137,"sku":"GOR013237783","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743659761937,"sku":"NGR9781035012800","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50109788586257,"sku":"GOR013149946","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52662464905489,"sku":"NLS9781035012800","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53429480325393,"sku":"GOR014915246","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1035012804.jpg?v=1751237643"},{"product_id":"rental-person-who-does-nothing-book-shoji-morimoto-9781035012817","title":"Rental Person Who Does Nothing","description":"The true life adventures of Shoji Morimoto, who launched a business in which he rents himself out to do nothing in Japan.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49602417819921,"sku":"GOR013236385","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50840477237521,"sku":"GOR014094185","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51606007709969,"sku":"GOR014343465","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1035012812.jpg?v=1750751302"},{"product_id":"rental-person-who-does-nothing-book-shoji-morimoto-9781035012824","title":"Rental Person Who Does Nothing","description":"The true life adventures of Shoji Morimoto, who launched a business in which he rents himself out to do nothing in Japan.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49753981518097,"sku":"NGR9781035012824","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50295817077009,"sku":"GOR013915919","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50531214295313,"sku":"GOR013987243","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52126574149905,"sku":"NLS9781035012824","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52370075943185,"sku":"GOR014508873","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52626296537361,"sku":"CIN1035012820G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1035012820.jpg?v=1751438052"},{"product_id":"rental-person-who-does-nothing-book-shoji-morimoto-9781335017536","title":"Rental Person Who Does Nothing","description":"***Now an International Bestseller!***\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e A Publisher's Weekly Pick of 2024!\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Distinctively Japanese musings on meaning and connection.\"--Observer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Maybe a game you want to play, but you're one person short.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Or perhaps you'd like someone to keep a space in the park for your cherry blossom viewing party...\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Rental Person provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. This book details thousands of his true-life adventures:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eAccompanying a divorcee to her favorite restaurant\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eWaving goodbye to a client from the train platform\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eSitting in the courtroom during a client's trial\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eSupporting a client during a difficult surgery\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Rental 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 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.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49851677475089,"sku":"CIN1335017534G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50871856988433,"sku":"CIN1335017534VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50985957163281,"sku":"NIN9781335017536","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":51334496321809,"sku":"CIN1335017534A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":51899795636497,"sku":"CIN1335017534LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1335017534.jpg?v=1750986324"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-shoji-morimoto.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}