Hideko Yamashita, a Japanese decluttering guru predating Marie Kondo, is recognized as the pioneer of the modern decluttering movement in Japan, known as danshari. While Ms. Kondo achieved global fame through her Netflix series, Ms. Yamashita’s influence within Japan is significant, marked by her bestselling books, a popular television show, and a school where she trains professional decluttering consultants. Both women advocate for minimalist living spaces for improved mental well-being, but their approaches differ. Ms. Kondo focuses on keeping items that "spark joy," providing practical organizing tips with an upbeat, encouraging tone. Ms. Yamashita delves deeper, exploring the philosophical and emotional connections people have with their possessions. Her method encourages introspection into why individuals accumulate items and the impact of overabundance on their emotional state.
Danshari, as defined by Ms. Yamashita, goes beyond merely tidying or organizing. It aims to restore a natural flow of letting go of items and freeing oneself from the burden of excessive possessions. She believes that cluttered spaces reflect a cluttered mind, and that clinging to unnecessary items can hinder emotional well-being. This philosophy stems from Ms. Yamashita’s university years, where she studied yoga and Buddhist principles of detachment. She began applying these concepts to her own life and later developed the Danshari Open House, a space dedicated to teaching others her decluttering method.
Ms. Yamashita’s method is illustrated by a consultation at Risa Kojima’s cluttered Tokyo apartment. This apartment, shared by Ms. Kojima, her husband, and their three children, became a visual representation of the family’s busy lives and Ms. Kojima’s mental clutter. Ms. Yamashita guided the family through the decluttering process, posing thought-provoking questions that forced Ms. Kojima to confront her attachment to objects and recognize the link between her cluttered environment and her overloaded mind. The consultation served as a practical lesson in applying danshari principles, highlighting the emotional and psychological aspects often overlooked in simple tidying methods.
The popularity of danshari in Japan is partly attributable to its resonance with Buddhist teachings of simplicity and detachment, deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. Despite the common perception of minimalist Japanese lifestyles, the reality of limited living space in densely populated cities contributes to clutter. Ms. Yamashita’s work filled a need for practical guidance in managing possessions, paving the way for the broader global interest in decluttering sparked by Marie Kondo.
Ms. Yamashita’s method differs significantly from Ms. Kondo’s. While Ms. Kondo’s approach focuses on the immediate joy derived from an item, Ms. Yamashita’s method encourages a deeper examination of the emotional and psychological reasons behind holding onto possessions. She pushes clients to confront their attachment to items and understand how these attachments contribute to mental clutter. This approach is more introspective and less immediately gratifying than Ms. Kondo’s method, requiring greater personal reflection and exploration.
The consultation at Ms. Kojima’s apartment showcased the transformative potential of danshari. Ms. Yamashita didn’t just help the family declutter their physical space; she guided them towards recognizing the connection between their environment and their mental state. The overflowing possessions became a tangible representation of Ms. Kojima’s overextended mental capacity, and the process of decluttering became a path towards mental clarity and a greater awareness of her own limits. This personalized approach emphasizes the deeper psychological benefits of decluttering beyond mere tidiness, highlighting the connection between our physical spaces and our internal states.
