The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Kondō encourages readers to emulate her routine when returning home from work. After greeting the house, she expresses gratitude to her shoes, coat, and work clothes as she takes them off and puts them away. She also thanks her purse as she empties it and puts it in its designated place. The contents of her purse go in a designated box inside a drawer. This allows her purse to rest overnight and prevents it from looking worn. Kondō’s homecoming ritual takes five minutes, leaving her free to relax afterward. The author asserts that once one has a designated place for everything, this routine makes tidying automatic, leaving time to focus on enjoying life.

Kondō admits that when she first started her business, she felt pressured to suggest ingenious storage solutions to her clients. However, years of experience as a consultant have taught her to favor simple storage methods. Most possessions can be kept in the kind of built-in cupboards or wardrobes that are common in Japanese homes. The author’s focus on built-in wardrobes reflects the compact housing conditions common in Japan. Western readers, especially those in larger households, may find this one-size-fits-all approach impractical. While a grounding in Japanese cultural traditions lends coherence to Kondō’s methods, this advice thus highlights the limits of their universal applicability.