If you were on social media in early 2019, you surely saw the memes. Discussions and clever quips about whether something “sparked joy”. And if you watched Netflix around this time, chances are you’ve encountered the woman who “loves mess” during almost every pre-show ad.
Who is this woman with a penchant for cleanliness? What exactly does it mean to “spark joy?” And what do people in Japan think about this sudden phenomenon?
Kondo Marie: A Modern-Day Mary Poppins?
This modern-day Mary Poppins is none other than Kondo Marie (近藤麻理恵). While only in her mid-30s, she has become an international sensation as the author of the best-selling self-help book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and the star of her own original Netflix reality show, Tidying Up with Kondo Marie.
Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, amongst others, have run her written works. She’s even been named one of Times’ 100 most influential people. Starring with her in all of her productions is her original, self-titled clean-up method. That method, the KonMari method, has practically taken on a life of its own.
Kondo’s method includes several aspects of Japanese culture. She pitches it as more than a simple how-to guide. Rather, it’s a way of life – one influenced by minimalism and focused on things that “spark joy” (Japanese: ときめき; tokimeki).
A tidiness aficionado from a very young age, Kondo began her journey as a professional cleaning lady. At the tender age of 19, she cleaned her friends’ homes for extra bucks. In one of her books, she cites this gig as the moment she realized her passion for cleaning. She knew it could become more than just a hobby. So, she decided to make it her profession.
After her 2014 book became a hit, she piggybacked off of that initial success with another publication. And then came the TV series that launched her into worldwide fame[1].
The KonMari Method: A “Spiritual” Approach to Organization?
The KonMari method is different from some cleaning methods. The traditional approach prioritizes getting rid of as much “junk” as you can.
The Konmari method focuses less on simply throwing things away. It’s more about establishing consciousness amongst the items you own. The goal is to create a space in which you only keep items that “spark joy”. A personal sanctuary, if you will.
Rather than a minimalistic approach, the KonMari method is more about organization. It divides all the items in your home into six categories: clothes, books, papers (documents, etc), komono (literally, “small things,” referring to miscellaneous items and items that do not fit into any of the other categories), and sentimental items.
Kondo suggests doing your cleaning in the exact order mentioned. You start by putting every item from each category into one huge pile. Then, you sort them according to what “sparks joy” or not. If something doesn’t spark joy, you toss it. You then reorganize the remaining items and put them into their own places. Kondo recommends storing items according to her space-saving folding and storage methods.
Americans seem to appreciate this approach. Unlike other clean-up methods which pressure one to toss away items, Kondo merely encourages creating a stress-free environment. If that means keeping items that do indeed spark joy, then by all means, do so.
What about sentimental items with which we can’t part easily? She suggests that not letting them clutter storage spaces. Instead, you can put them to use as items that can spark even more joy. For example, you can frame photos and put them on display. In this way, they can add to the joyful atmosphere of your newly de-stressed living space.
Kondo says cleanliness is important in Japanese culture. She describes her methods as influenced by Shinto (the native religion of Japan), Zen, and wabi-sabi. The latter is a Buddhist concept that emphasizes “beauty in simplicity and calmness”. Anyone who has seen an episode of her series will notice right away where these traditions come into play. Kondo bows to and greets the residence upon entering. She even expresses gratitude for each item before tossing it away. The approach is tantamount to a spiritual “cleansing” approach to purifying one’s space.
Kondo worked as a shrine maiden at a Shinto shrine as a teen. Perhaps that influenced Kondo’s mindset. Combining Shintoism with Buddhist concepts, her method hints at animism. Central to Shinto, animism attributes lifelike qualities to inanimate objects. As a result, it also encourages respect and appreciation for all things. This is seen through the way Kondo “speaks” to the objects as if they were living things. She asking for “cooperation” from the home and items before cleaning, and thanking items for their service before discarding them.
Her philosophical stance adds more than just the desire for a clean space. It denotes respect and sentimental emotion towards one’s living space and items as well. Her tips aren’t necessarily anything earth-shattering.
However, this “spirituality,” many believe, is just part of why her method’s birthed such a fondness amongst her following. To many, her approach helps minimize the stress too often associated with cleaning up clutter. And stress and clutter are two things that Americans are only all too familiar with.
The American Dream
So why has Kondo managed to gain such a large (and steadily increasing) following in America in particular? Surely there is more to it than simply that Americans are less tidy than their Japanese counterparts?
There have been several reasons stated for her western “boom”. One of them, not surprisingly, is the Western fetishizing of Asian, particularly Japanese, culture. This has, in turn, also sparked criticism (and not joy) from her Japanese base. But more on that a little later.
Amongst the more practical reasons for her western popularity are those such as the average size of family homes, capitalism and consumerism. Additionally, there’s the Western (particularly American) tendency to attribute success and status to material possessions. It’s certainly true that houses and apartments in the US are much more spacious than your typical Japanese dwelling. That enables people to collect and store more items without necessarily feeling the need to make or save space.
Second, many in the West have a tendency to accumulate crap we don’t need. It’s a force of habit; we do it because it’s what we (and those before us) have always done. As a result, we pile up useless items. At the extreme end, people become hoarders and their homes become buried under mountains of clutter.
Most Americans who fall into this category are still aware of the clutter. However, most fail to take action. Clutter has practically become a part of life, hoarding a second nature.
Many people often state the wish to be able to be more organized. However, they never get started – either because of lack of time, lack of desire, or simplly lack of know-how. In turn, this constant state of clutter has contributed to the ever-increasing stress level of the average American.
Perhaps that’s why Kondo Marie’s sudden appearance in their late-night Netflix binges has come as a sort of divine intervention. Kondo’s become our savior of clean and organized living.
Not So Big In Japan
But has this popularity skyrocketed as drastically in her own country of Japan? While recognized in Japan in her specific niche, it seems this boom and exaggerated fame is limited to overseas. What is it about her that is so adored abroad, yet so casually received in her own home?
You might assume that Kondo is as popular, or even more so, in her own country of Japan. However, that’s not really the case.
Despite her critical acclaim abroad, Kondo Marie is just not that big of a hit in Japan. When I asked some of my own Japanese friends via social media about her, I got some amusing responses. Like, “Who’s Kondo Marie?” and “What is a ‘KonMari’ method?” Not everyone I asked knew her name. And those who did had mixed opinions on her success and her methods.
Reasons for Lack of Popularity
Some people argue that Kondi isn’t huge in Japan because cleanliness is already a big part of Japanese culture. Her methods just aren’t seen as revolutionary on her home turf. There are fewer people there in need of or impressed by her services. (Also, it should be noted that there are a number of other successful so-called “organization gurus”. Even amongst them, she doesn’t stand out that drastically.)
As mentioned above, many Japanese live in smaller dwelling spaces; they also have less of a tendency to hoard unnecessary items. Also, as a matter of tradition, most people partake in “Oo-souji,” a major house-cleaning done before the New Year begins (similar to Spring Cleaning). This idea is nothing new and is seen as something most people should be doing at least once a year anyway[3].
Japanese Criticism
Not everyone I asked knew her name. And those who did had mixed opinions on her success and her methods. Click To TweetI asked the people who were familiar with the KonMari method their thoughts. I received quite a hodgepodge of reactions. Of course, there were many who expressed respect and admiration for Kondo being able to achieve such success in America. They attributed it to her hard work, dedication, and loveable personality.
However, there were some who didn’t understand what the big deal was. They thought her methods were nothing special and saw her personality was “fake” and “forced”. In their view, Kondo carefully crafts her sweetness to appeal to her target American audience. Her on-screen showmanship, they maintained, was “way overblown”. They also insisted that Japanese people “don’t really do any of that.”
Some criticized her references to Shinto and Buddhism. Neither they nor other Shinto practitioners that they knew, they stressed, actually spoke to their items like that. Others thought she was exaggerating the concept of animism to further pique the American interest in Japanese traditions.
For example, one Twitter user wrote in frustration:
疲れたので『KonMari〜人生がときめく片づけの魔法〜』を流しているのだが、こんまりが片づけを始める前に「お家に挨拶をしましょう」と言うところで止めてしまった。— ふわふわゴミクズ太郎 (@dashi5831) 2019年1月9日
I was tired so I started to watch “Tidying Up with Kondo Marie,” but I stopped it the moment she said “Let’s say hello to the house before cleaning up.”
Some say that her focus on “sparking joy” in fact goes against traditional Buddhist ideals. Buddhism, they argue, seeks to eliminate “desires” and related emotions. It should instead minimize possessive feelings towards earthly possessions. earthly possessions.
Still others criticize her for being wasteful (mottainai). Kondo encourages discarding things that don’t “spark joy”. Every episode of her series features families throwing away boxes and bagfuls of otherwise good-condition items. As a result, some Japanese cringe at her seemingly complete disregard for reuse[4].
So What Does This Mean For Her Success?
In a word… absolutely nothing.
It may come as a shock to many in her Western fanbase that Kondo is not as big of a sensation in her own home turf. Additionally, she’s received her fair share of criticism from Americans as well
But as far as success goes, I think we can let the results speak for themselves. Kondo obviously has no shortage of followers and people who are willing to buy her almost $90 storage boxes. Her overwhelmingly sharp rise in popularity in America more than compensates for the lack of noise in Japan.
Kondo has made a very strong name for herself. And yes, she gets criticism. But it’s clear that she knows what she’s doing. And she’s doing it well (if raising over 4 billion yen is any indication).
You can’t please everybody. When you’re at the top, there will almost always be people trying to bring you down. And Kondo does a great job of keeping herself above all the noise. (And if rising to “meme status” doesn’t say anything about her success, I’m not sure what will.)[5]
Personally, I also enjoy her works and have put to use some of her methods myself. As a business person myself, I hold her in high respect for turning her passion into a profession. She may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and the KonMari method is certainly not for everybody. But anyone who has issue with her success might consider finding something that “sparks joy” in their own lives.
What to Read Next
Two KonMaris: How Cleanliness Guru’s Marketed in the West
Sources
[1] 【こんまり】なぜ近藤麻理恵さんのお片付け番組はアメリカでウケる？ ヒットの秘密を考えてみました. YouPouch
[2] こんまりメソッド、なぜ全米で大反響？ 日本発の片づけ術が“セラピー”として機能する理由. Real Sound
[3] Sparking Joy and Spirituality: Kondō Marie Boom Highlights Decluttering Differences. Nippon.com
[4] 米国でもブームのこんまり 片づけ番組の何が面白いのか. Blogos (via Internet Archive)
[5] Netflix star and tidying expert Marie Kondo is looking to raise $40M. TechCrunch
