Trivia

Kondo's method of organizing is known as the KonMari method; it consists of gathering together all of one's belongings, one category at a time, and then keeping only those things that "spark joy" (tokimeku") and choosing a place for everything from then on.

Kondo founded her organizing consulting business when she was 19 and a sociology student at Tokyo Woman's Christian University.

Kondo has been interested in organizing since childhood. In junior school, Kondo ran into the classroom to tidy up bookshelves while her classmates were playing in physical education class. Whenever there was nomination for class roles, she did not seek to be the class representative or the pet feeder. Instead, she yearned to be the bookshelf manager to continue to tidy up books.

Kondo spent five years as an attendant maiden at a Shinto shrine. From this, her organizing method is partly based on the Shinto religion.

Kondo's organizing method is partly inspired by the Shinto religion. Cleaning and organizing things properly is a spiritual practice in Shintoism, which is concerned with the energy or divine spirit of things (kami) and the right way to live (kannagara).