A new year in Japan means it’s time for ōsōji, the annual cleaning of one’s home. And, right on schedule, Netflix has released “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” to give us all some inspiration — or make us feel guilty for putting it off.
The eight-episode series follows organizing guru Marie Kondo as she helps American families organize, compartmentalize and, most importantly, throw away piles of stuff in their homes. Kondo meets a variety of households, from expecting parents and a grieving widow to a same-sex couple, and convinces them to toss anything in their homes that doesn’t “spark joy,” which she describes as filling their hearts with happiness.
That “spark” is the main idea behind Kondo’s “KonMari” method, which has turned her into an international cleaning superstar. Her philosophy of downsizing has lead to a best-selling book, the aforementioned Netflix series and being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2015.
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