When I started out as a tidying consultant, I relied entirely on the « Marie Kondo » brand or KonMari®. I felt like it gave me a certain legitimacy, even confidence, in what I was doing.
From « KonMari Consultant » to « Japanese Tidying Consultant »
However, in recent months, I have started to refer to Japanese-style tidying rather than Marie Kondo to bypass preconceptions about the latter. Being Japanese like her, I share her worldview, including the spirituality that underpins her famous tidying method. In fact, it’s this familiarity that both comforted and moved me when I read her book.
Nevertheless, I’ve observed that this spiritual aspect is often dissimulated in Western media. Sometimes, you even get the impression that the KonMari method is just interior decoration — clean, white, minimalist…
While I understand this communication strategy — spirituality can make this foreign approach even more foreign — I find it unfortunate because it is the key element that makes this approach so different from others. The aim of Japanese-style tidying is to live in harmony with your belongings and home, transforming tidying from a practical act into one of kindness and love. Done with intention, this « chore » rises to an art form.
Each object has a soul and wants to serve its owner
We even believe that an object that exists for 100 years gains consciousness and becomes a yōkai called tsukumogami (付喪神). This why we should choose them carefully, treat them kindly, and put them back in their place after we use them so they can rest. When its mission with us is completed, we let it go, either to serve someone else or retire.
Moreover, our belongings are our allies, not our enemies. So, instead of searching for what we can get rid of, this approach teaches us to identify what we truly love and makes us feel tokimeki. We let go of the rest with gratitude because even if we don’t keep it, it has shared our life.
In simple terms, the KonMari method codifies Japanese-style tidying, makes it easy to apply, and infuses it with a good dose of joy.
Japan Impact 2024
My mission is to make Japanese tidying better known, including its spiritual side, to spread tokimeki around the world. This is why I am delighted to be invited to Japan Impact 2024, the theme of which is « Yōkai, » at EPFL in Lausanne from 17 to 18 February. I will give two conferences and two folding workshops in French.
Tokimeki: L’essence du rangement à la japonaise
samedi, 17 février 2024, 16h00 – 17h30
S’entourer de tout ce qu’on aime, voilà la base du rangement à la japonaise. Chaque objet a une âme, donc choisissez-les avec soin, restez à leur écoute, et traitez-les avec bienveillance. Bien plus qu’une simple méthode d’organisation, le rangement à la japonaise est une philosophie de vie qui vous mène vers l’harmonie extérieure et intérieure. Venez apprendre comment remplir votre quotidien de pépites de tokimeki avec une consultante certifiée KonMari.
Vivre en harmonie chez soi avec les Yokai
samedi, 17 février 2024, 18h15 – 19h45
Vous avez probablement des Yokai chez vous. Qu’ils soient apparents ou pas, espiègles ou bienveillants, ils font partie de votre quotidien. Venez apprendre comment cohabiter sereinement avec vos Yokai. Conférence en collaboration avec Yasuka Fader (midnight blossom).
dimanche, 18 février 2024, 11h30 – 13:00 et 16h00 – 17:30
Je vous présente les bases de la méthode de rangement de Marie Kondo, suivi des exercises de pliage. Vous apprendrez à plier et ranger vos vêtements à la verticale pour que tout soit visible, accessible et joli dans votre garde-robe. Apportez des vêtements à plier (T-shirt, chaussettes, etc.), ainsi que des articles que vous ne savez pas plier.
