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Japan's declutter queen Marie Kondo expands her empire

18 Comments
By LEANNE ITALIE

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18 Comments
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I've yet to go to any home or office in Japan that is not absurdly cluttered. And not, it is not a small sample size.

Good for her if she is genuinely helping people to declutter and introduce a little order into their homes. Having said that, I can imagine this being a best seller abroad because people imagine the still tranquility of Japanese gardens and temples from movies and storybooks.

The truth is, that is not at all representative of life in Japan.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Yep, I honestly don't know how Japanese people live with so much clutter in their homes.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

WIth so many copies sold, you'd think you would see some change around Japan, but so far I still see completely messy up rooms.

Yep, I honestly don't know how Japanese people live with so much clutter in their homes.

Not only that, for a country that is prone to earthquakes it boggles me why everyone keeps stuff cluttered and stacked up high like that. Accident waiting to happen.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

That's so good! I thoroughly enjoyed her book and it helped me out tremendously. I have since accumulated crap and need to go through it again lol

4 ( +4 / -0 )

She has really built a career out of literally nothing. Good for her, I suppose.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Smart woman

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I'm constantly battling against clutter at home. I like to have a big clear out when the wife is away. Usually she doesn't notice the missing stuff, although she did complain about me throwing out a stack of old milk cartons recently. They were needed as makeshift cutting boards, apparently. Dozens of them. And we have a proper cutting board that is never in the cupboard.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

My wife and I are diametric opposites when it comes to being organized. The problem with her is that when she puts something away, it is never seen again. While she was traveling last month I did a little spelunking of the cabinet under the sink and found an unopened bottle of medicated shampoo produced in the year 2000. It wasn't cheap either, but as such products clearly can't claim an 18-year shelf life, it was discarded.

Several years back, some Japanese food manufacturers began producing "gourmet" emergency foods. Their expiration dates are typically two or three years longer than regular supermarket items, but eventually they must be consumed, so an effort was made to at least make them palatable. I don't know if that cut down on the waste or not.

Possessions are truly a burden...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'm waiting for an American diet consultant to make millions of dollars by telling the Japanese to eat smaller portions during mealtimes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Good for her. Japanese tend to be much more organized compared to people from other countries, mainly because of the small sizes of apartments and rooms.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

Good for her. Japanese tend to be much more organized compared to people from other countries, mainly because of the small sizes of apartments and rooms.

Nnnnnnnnope. Powderb, Kawabegawa, and Papigiulio hit the nail on the head with their comments.

Clutter appears to be the defacto decorating style in Japan. Far from making things neater and tidier, it's those small sized rooms and apartments, and the associated lack of closet space, that are probably the main culprits.

Iris, the JP company that makes those plastic storage bins, must make a fortune.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Oldman_13, you are kidding, right?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It's nice to be in a tidy space, but you can't have much of a life if you find tidying up has "life-changing magic". That surely lies in more radical changes regarding where you live, work, and relationships.

Quick fixes are snake oil, people. Keep your money in your pocket.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

How many homes are cluttered with self-help books from self appointed gurus?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If you haven't read her book, it's unfair to call her a bluff. Her instructions are not just about organizing , but also the added benefit to one's mental state. My mother is a borderline hoarder and thus, the clutter in her home. Her mentality is: "these things can be gifted, will increase in value in the future or good to have when you need them, it's my recreation". We tried everything, from not giving her anything, moving her to a new apartment to these self-help books. I believe her hoarding has a lot of causes; from not having enough when growing up, trying to live the life (and things) from the past, to just feeling secure being surrounded with stuff. It is Psychological, and I would agree with the author that tidying up can be a life-changing magic.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Recycling companies should sponsor her and pay her a lot of money as a consultant. After all, the more that people declutter, the more they throw things out. That means recycling companies benefit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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