Born in Tokyo, Kondo, 32, was tidying her brother and sister’s bedrooms, as well as her own, from an early age. While studying sociology at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, she worked as an attendant maiden at a Shinto shrine and earned extra money by offering her tidying services to friends. In 2010, she launched a successful business advising clients how to declutter their homes. Her books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy, have sold more than 7m copies. She lives in Tokyo with her husband, Takumi Kawahara, and their daughters, Satsuki, nearly 2, and Miko, six months.
The best time to start tidying is early morning when the air is sharp. When I wake depends on my daughters, Satsuki and Miko. The first thing I do is open all the windows to clear what we call “chi” — a stagnant energy that has accumulated overnight.
Breakfast is cold fresh juice and perhaps toast or a Japanese-style breakfast, which would be steamed rice and miso soup. Before Satsuki was born I had heard that there would be mess, but I had no idea how much! My husband, Takumi, and I share all the childcare and chores, but it has been crazy. Miko is only five months, so she can’t move, but Satsuki spreads her toys everywhere. It is a new experience and, at first, it was overwhelming. I just could not control it.
I was not an outgoing child. I lacked confidence and was inept at expressing my feelings. I would spend most of my time alone, tidying cupboards and drawers at home, even the mop cupboard at my school. I couldn’t stop.
I was always upset by how mess escalated. I did not know about obsessive compulsive disorder, I just knew I was obsessed. I thought so much about it, I could not relax. At some point, that changed. I feel much more in control now.
At lunchtime, I eat what my body tells me I need and it is often sushi with salmon. If I crave bread or a muffin, I have that.
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It was years before I realised that tidying by room was a mistake. I sort by category and start with clothes, keeping only pieces that spark joy. I move onto books, papers, miscellaneous items and, finally, sentimental items.
The Japanese acquire a huge number of possessions. Many clients hold onto things believing they will “come in handy”. Believe me, they never do. The average amount thrown out by someone using my method is 20 to 30 bin bags. For a family, it’s double.
People’s mess does not faze me, no matter how high the stacks of clothes and papers, but, five years ago, my waiting list was huge and I became exhausted. Now I focus on writing books and have a consultancy — KonMari.
I change my clothes every evening. By taking each item in my hands and folding it neatly like origami, I believe I am transferring positive energy. In Japan, we call this “te-ate” — literally, “to apply hands”. I then sort the contents of my handbag, thanking it before storing it. This takes a total of five minutes. After, I go to the kitchen, make myself a cup of tea and relax.
Takumi is a great cook — pork chops with ginger and soya sauce is one of our favourites. We give the children a bath, eat dinner, then tuck them in. I have taught myself to block their mess out till they go to sleep, then I declutter everything into individual baskets: books, puzzles, stuffed toys ... I always say everything has a home.
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It is a Japanese custom to have a bath at night, to reset the body for sleep. I use sea salt for purification, then I do yoga stretches. I wear soft, organic cotton pyjamas, which make me happy, and I use aroma diffusers with scents such as kuromoji oil.
We do not have a TV and I have few interests outside tidying, so I will work a little on business emails before bed. Sometimes, as I lie there, I think how amazing it is that a simple method I came up with for having a tidy life has spread all around the world.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Best advice I was given My grandmother would say to me to do everything with precision. It can be applied to everything
Advice I’d give If you’re ever unsure of what to do, choose the thing or action that sparks joy
What I wish I’d known If I’d known how hard it is to raise children, I would have communicated my appreciation much more to my parents
Spark Joy by Marie Kondo is out now (Vermilion £11)
