Marie Kondo
Born 1984 · Age 41
Japanese organizing consultant, author and TV presenter, creator of the KonMari Method; bestselling author and star of Netflix's Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.
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Life & Career Timeline
Early fascination with tidying begins
At about age 5 Kondo began practicing tidying inspired by her mother's interest in feng shui (fusui) and by her grandmother's habits.
Attended Chūō Ward Hisamatsu Elementary School
Attended primary school in Chūō Ward (dates approximated by typical school ages).
Attended Friends Girls Junior & Senior High School
Enrolled at the private Quaker school Friends Girls Junior & Senior High School in Mita, Minato, Tokyo (approximate year based on age).
Founded personal tidying consulting business
While a sociology student at Tokyo Woman's Christian University, Kondo launched an organizing consultant business at age 19.
Worked tidying friends' apartments and clients' desks
As a student and early professional she tidied friends' apartments and clients' offices, building a waitlist for her services.
Senior-year capstone thesis on tidying and gender
Wrote her university capstone thesis titled 'Tidying up as seen from the perspective of gender' (senior year approximate).
Spent five years as Shinto shrine attendant maiden (miko)
Kondo served as a miko for five years at a Shinto shrine (exact years not specified; this event records the five-year period she spent in the role).
Published Japanese book: Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō
Published The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in Japanese (Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō).
Married Kawahara Takumi
Kondo married Takumi Kawahara; he later became her manager and CEO of KonMari-Media, LLC.
Published Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō 2
Released the sequel to her 2011 book in Japanese.
Two-part TV dramatization produced
A two-part TV dramatization based on Kondo and her work, titled Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō, was filmed.
English edition published in the U.S.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was published in English in the United States by Ten Speed Press.
Book becomes New York Times #1 bestseller
The English edition became a New York Times bestseller and expanded Kondo's international profile.
Published Mainichi ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō
Published another organizing book in Japanese (Mainichi ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō).
Named to TIME 100 list
Kondo was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.
Published Irasuto de Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō (Illustrated Guide)
Released an illustrated guide to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in Japanese.
Public speaking: Web Summit appearance (photo caption)
Photographed and appeared at the Web Summit (Sportsfile) in Dublin 2015/2016; active on international speaking circuit.
Published Manga de Yomu Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahō / Life-Changing Manga
A manga adaptation of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was published in Japanese and translated into English in 2017.
Expansion of global consulting network (ongoing growth)
KonMari certifier program and consultant network expanded internationally (growth documented in later sources).
Emmy nominations for Tidying Up and host nomination
The show garnered Emmy recognition; Kondo received at least a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program (sources cite two Emmy nominations for the series).
Netflix series 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo' released
Netflix released Tidying Up with Marie Kondo; the series greatly raised her profile in the United States and UK.
Subject of internet memes; 'I love mess' clip recognition
Following the Netflix release Kondo became the subject of numerous internet memes; a clip was listed among Time's 10 best memes of 2019.
Netflix #1 non-fiction release and multiple award nominations
Netflix's Tidying Up was Netflix's #1 non-fiction release in 2019 and earned multiple award nominations (konmari.com cites 7 nominations including 2 Emmys).
Opened KonMari online store
Kondo launched an online e-commerce store called KonMari to sell products related to tidying and home organization.
KonMari certification program scale reported
Harvard Business Review reported that the KonMari certification had certified more than 400 consultants in 43 countries (timing around 2020 HBR article).
Published 'Joy at Work' (co-written with Scott Sonenshein)
Co-authored Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life, published in 2020.
KonMari site reports 14 million book sales and 44 translations
KonMari.com reported that Kondo's books have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide and her first book had been translated into 44 languages (site stats, year of reporting 2020–2023).
KonMari: reported global media appearances
Continued media appearances on major outlets including Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and late-night talk shows (dates span 2014–2021).
Netflix released 'Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo'
Netflix released a follow-up series, Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo, focusing on workplaces and other aspects of life.
Interview: acknowledged relaxed home tidying post-third child
Kondo stated publicly (2022 interviews) that after the birth of her third child her rigor about tidying relaxed to prioritize family.
Residence move to United States (San Francisco then Los Angeles)
Kondo and family moved from Tokyo to San Francisco and later to Los Angeles (dates span late 2010s–early 2020s; she has lived in the U.S. while working on media projects).
KonMari Media, Inc. listed as company founded by Kondo
Konmari.com and other bios list Kondo as founder of KonMari Media, Inc. (exact corporate formation date not specified in sources).
Ongoing global impact: books in 30+ countries / multi-language reach (historic)
Her 2011 book has been published in more than 30 countries (original figure) and later reported as translated into 44 languages; collective sales exceed millions of copies worldwide.
Estimated personal net worth consolidation
Based on cumulative book sales (14M+), Netflix deals, e-commerce and speaking/consulting income, an estimated net worth consolidation around mid tens of millions USD.
Key Achievement Ages
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