Who Is Marie Kondo? 5 Things to Know About the Japanese Organization Guru From Netflix’s ‘Tidying Up’

Credit: Gary Gershoff/WireImage

Who Is Marie Kondo? 5 Things to Know About the Japanese Organization Guru From Netflix's 'Tidying Up'

Now that the new year is in full swing, it’s time to think about cleaning up your home — with the help of Marie Kondo. The Japanese author, known for her organizational skills and decluttering techniques, has been making waves around the internet after her Tidying Up With Marie Kondo show premiered on Netflix on January 1. In eight inspiring episodes, fans can watch the world-renowned consultant use her KonMari method to help rid any of the junk from her clients’ homes that doesn’t “spark joy” — a phrase she coined herself. [ami-related id="1207328" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/shop-storage-solutions-marie-kondos-collaboration-more/" title="Shop Marie Kondo's Storage Solutions" target="_blank" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/marie-kondo-editorial-image.jpg"] The latest notable fan? Jennifer Garner. The Camping star shared a hilarious video on Instagram, January 16, of herself attempting to declutter her draws. “@mariekondo — I’m all about it,” she wrote, adding hashtags, including #canyoucomeover. Other celeb fans include Kate Hudson, Oprah and Katie Couric. So if A-listers love the Netflix star, then you should, too. Scroll down to learn five things about the organization guru. [ami-related id="1315843" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/storage-solutions-from-the-home-edit-shop/" title="Storage Solutions From the Home Edit Shop" target="_blank" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/reese-witherspoon1.jpg"]

Credit: Gary Gershoff/WireImage

Who Is Marie Kondo? 5 Things to Know About the Japanese Organization Guru From Netflix's 'Tidying Up'

Now that the new year is in full swing, it’s time to think about cleaning up your home — with the help of Marie Kondo. The Japanese author, known for her organizational skills and decluttering techniques, has been making waves around the internet after her Tidying Up With Marie Kondo show premiered on Netflix on January 1. In eight inspiring episodes, fans can watch the world-renowned consultant use her KonMari method to help rid any of the junk from her clients’ homes that doesn’t “spark joy” — a phrase she coined herself. [ami-related id="1207328" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/shop-storage-solutions-marie-kondos-collaboration-more/" title="Shop Marie Kondo's Storage Solutions" target="_blank" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/marie-kondo-editorial-image.jpg"] The latest notable fan? Jennifer Garner. The Camping star shared a hilarious video on Instagram, January 16, of herself attempting to declutter her draws. “@mariekondo — I’m all about it,” she wrote, adding hashtags, including #canyoucomeover. Other celeb fans include Kate Hudson, Oprah and Katie Couric. So if A-listers love the Netflix star, then you should, too. Scroll down to learn five things about the organization guru. [ami-related id="1315843" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/pictures/storage-solutions-from-the-home-edit-shop/" title="Storage Solutions From the Home Edit Shop" target="_blank" showsubt="false" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/reese-witherspoon1.jpg"]

Credit: Ten Speed Press

Bestselling Author

Despite the recent buzz, Kondo, who started her business at 19, has been around for quite a while. Prior to getting her own show, she wrote four books on organizing, including her 2014 New York Times bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. In fact, Mindy Kaling even mentioned the method in season four of The Mindy Project.

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Spiritually Spotless

Her inspiration comes from Shintoism. “I loved visiting Shinto shrines when I was a little girl and I served as a Shinto maiden while I was at university,” she told the UK Telegraph in 2016. “I didn’t practice Shintoism deeply but it has an influence on my tidying method.”

Credit: Courtesy of Marie Kondo/Instagram

Most Influential Person

The Tokyo native was named one of Time 100’s Most Influential People. Jamie Lee Curtis praised her in a piece for the publication. “What I love most about her method is the respect she suggests we show our soon-to-be-departed possessions,” the actress wrote. “If they don’t ‘spark joy’ in our hearts, as she puts it, then we should pause to acknowledge our memories together and let them spark joy for someone else.”

Credit: Courtesy of Marie Kondo/Instagram

Clean Machine

The consultant (with Couric) has been interested in organizing since childhood. “I became a fan of home and lifestyle magazines as a kid, because my mother subscribed to them,” she told the Wall Street Journal in 2015. “My mother is a full-time housewife and she always enjoyed being one. So I thought housework looked fun and became interested in everything from cooking to cleaning, tidying, laundry and sewing.”

Credit: Courtesy of Marie Kondo/Instagram

All in the Family

She married Takumi Kawahara, a businessman, in 2012. When her decluttering method took off, he left his job to become his wife’s full-time manager. “He was able to clean and be very organized even before he read my book, but it was certainly even more pronounced after he read my book," she revealed to Good Housekeeping in 2016. "He became even more efficient. Fundamentally speaking, we're in the same groove." The pair share daughters Satsuki and Miko.