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'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

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Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#111

Post by jogu »

Karuma wrote: post #18

A friendly reminder that Japan's rent-a-family industry was completely fake: https://newrepublic.com/article/160595/new-yorker-japan-rent... Everyone loves stories about how weird Japan is (especially the Japanese), so these stories should be taken with a grain of salt.

> Japan's rent-a-family industry was completely fake

That's really not what that article is claiming. It's claiming that a particular individual has lied about the industry and made it seem stranger than it actually is and the western media has sensationalized that even further.

There absolutely are rental services for boyfriends, girlfriends, mothers, fathers, etc. in Japan, they're just not as bizarre as some of these articles would lead you to believe.

Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#112

Post by dumb1224 »

Karuma wrote: post #18

A friendly reminder that Japan's rent-a-family industry was completely fake: https://newrepublic.com/article/160595/new-yorker-japan-rent... Everyone loves stories about how weird Japan is (especially the Japanese), so these stories should be taken with a grain of salt.

I noticed this effect on me after years of living in Europe. The perception of Japanese culture / society I had from before I moved to Europe was quite different (these phenomena are to some extent well-known but not an obsession). Now I fear my understanding of all things Japanese is a little bit off (or at least diverged) from my peers in my country.

Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#115

Post by bentcorner »

xyzelement wrote: post #101

I can't quite put my finger on how to define "this" but it seems like stories like "this" have been replacing stories of drive and grit in our cultural lore. It's en vogue now to talk about "doing nothing" or making it sound normal that you need to hire someone you don't know to accompany you to visit the hospital, etc. I am sure this is a part of the human experience but is it really a part we need to normalize, ver…

You get out what you put in - I see this story as someone making the best of a bad situation, finding a unique niche and innovating something that didn't exist before.

(If the story is indeed true) "Doing nothing" is just click-bait - he's definitely not doing nothing, he's connecting with people who need it, and has built it into a business with a twitter following.

Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#116

Post by hh3k0 »

xyzelement wrote: post #101

I can't quite put my finger on how to define "this" but it seems like stories like "this" have been replacing stories of drive and grit in our cultural lore. It's en vogue now to talk about "doing nothing" or making it sound normal that you need to hire someone you don't know to accompany you to visit the hospital, etc. I am sure this is a part of the human experience but is it really a part we need to normalize, ver…

> The reason I say this is because I think the world is a tough competitive place whether we act like it or not.

It doesn't have to be, though.

I guess the individuals featured in such stories are the change they want to see in the world.

Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#118

Post by [deleted] »

pontifier wrote: post #104

I've had a fantastic boost in productivity lately due to paying some unemployed homeless people I know to watch me programming. It's somewhere between rubber duck and pair programming. They might be learning a bit, and explaining things really keeps me on task.

[deleted]

Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#119

Post by boxmonster »

I used to drive Uber as a retired programmer and found out I have a talent for putting people at ease. I've been told I'm a calm person. I've also been told I'm kind and a good listener. I quit Uber because of the pandemic. Maybe after I get vaccinated I'll give this a try, but I don't know how well it would work in Silicon Valley because everyone is in such a hurry.

Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude

#120

Post by kridsdale1 »

PrefixKitten wrote: post #74
technofiend wrote: post #19

Once again Mike Judge accurately predicts the future: "Michael? I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing and it was everything that I thought it could be." - Peter Gibbons, Office Space (1999).

Now if only I could make money doing two chicks at the same time..

I think it costs about a million dollars to get two chicks at the same time
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