Marie Kondo Biography: Husband, Age, Children, Net Worth, Movies, TV Shows, Height, Books, Netflix

Biography

Marie Kondo, also known as Konmari, is a renowned Japanese organizing consultant, author, and TV personality, best known for her KonMari Method of tidying.

Born in Tokyo on October 9, 1984, she developed an interest in organization as a child, inspired by lifestyle magazines and her own experiments with decluttering.

She launched her professional organizing business at 19 while studying at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. Her 2011 book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, became a global bestseller, translated into multiple languages, and sparked a decluttering movement.

The KonMari Method emphasizes keeping items that “spark joy” and organizing by category, not location. Kondo starred in the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (2019) and Sparking Joy (2021), earning international acclaim.

She has been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People and now runs KonMari Media, Inc., offering courses, products, and a certified consultant program. Married with three children, she continues to inspire minimalist living worldwide.

Japanese professional organizer and consultant
Marie Kondo
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Marie Kondo
Stage Name:	Konmari
Born:	9 October 1984 (age 40 years old)
Place of Birth:	Tokyo, Japan
Nationality:	Japanese
Education:	Chūō Ward Hisamatsu Elementary School, Friends Girls Junior & Senior High School, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University
Height:	140 cm
Parents:	Hiroshi Kondo, Yuko Kondo
Siblings:	2
Spouse:	Takumi Kawahara (m. 2012)
Boyfriend • Partner:	Not Dating
Children:	Satsuki Kawahara, Miko Kawahara
Occupation:	Organizing Consultant • Author • TV Personality
Net Worth:	$8 million (USD)

Early Life & Education

Marie Kondo, born on October 9, 1984, in Tokyo, Japan, grew up in a household that nurtured her early fascination with tidying.

Of Japanese ethnicity, she was raised by her parents, Hiroshi Kondo and Yuko Kondo, who instilled a sense of order and care in their home. Her mother, Yuko, introduced her to lifestyle magazines filled with home decor and cleaning tips, sparking Marie’s passion for organization by age five.

This interest deepened through her childhood, influenced by the Japanese feng shui trend (fusui) prevalent in Tokyo. Marie, the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister, was particularly inspired by her grandmother Noriko, whose meticulous approach to her home in Miyazaki Prefecture shaped Marie’s philosophy of cherishing possessions.

During her teenage years, she served as an attendant maiden at a Shinto shrine for five years, a role that infused her tidying method with spiritual elements tied to Shintoism. At 15, after reading The Art of Discarding, she had a transformative moment during an intense tidying session, fainting and realizing she should focus on items that “spark joy,” laying the groundwork for her KonMari Method.

Marie attended Chūō Ward Hisamatsu Elementary School, followed by Friends Girls Junior & Senior High School, a private Quaker institution in Mita, Minato, Tokyo. She later studied sociology at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, where she wrote her thesis, “Tidying Up as Seen from the Perspective of Gender,” and founded her organizing consulting business at 19, setting the stage for her global influence.

Career

Marie Kondo is a globally renowned organizing consultant, author, and lifestyle expert whose career has redefined how people approach tidying and minimalism. Her journey began in her late teens in Tokyo and has since evolved into an international movement centred on mindfulness, simplicity, and joy.

At 19 years old, while studying sociology at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, Kondo launched her own professional organizing business, offering personalized in-home decluttering services.

Her distinctive philosophy—centred on keeping only items that “spark joy” and organizing by category rather than location—quickly gained popularity, resulting in a six-month waiting list for clients. This approach, later branded the KonMari Method, was inspired by her lifelong fascination with tidying and her Shinto-influenced belief that possessions should be treated with gratitude and respect.

In 2010, Kondo released her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which became a cultural sensation in Japan before achieving global bestseller status, selling over 13 million copies and being translated into dozens of languages.

The book introduced millions to the KonMari Method and established her as a household name worldwide. She went on to publish Spark Joy (2012) and Joy at Work (2020, co-authored with Scott Sonenshein), expanding her message into personal and professional spaces.

Kondo’s international fame surged with the release of her Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (2019), in which she helped families declutter their homes while promoting emotional awareness and gratitude.

The series was nominated for an Emmy Award and streamed in over 190 countries, inspiring a global wave of minimalist living. Its follow-up, Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo (2021), broadened her focus to community and business organization. In recognition of her influence, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015.

In 2015, Kondo founded KonMari Media, Inc., based in Los Angeles, to oversee her expanding ventures. The company manages her certified consultant training program, which now includes more than 500 consultants worldwide, as well as her online courses, speaking engagements, and curated product lines for home organisation. In 2019, she launched an e-commerce store featuring lifestyle items inspired by her minimalist philosophy.

Beyond her business ventures, Kondo serves as a global cultural ambassador for Shinto, appointed by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, reflecting the spiritual foundation of her work. She has spoken at prestigious venues such as Google and South by Southwest (SXSW), sharing insights on mindful living and intentional design.

Although she has stepped back from active organizing to focus on family life after welcoming three children, Kondo continues to inspire through her books, courses, and digital media. Her philosophy has expanded into apps, workshops, and even a manga adaptation, proving that the art of tidying is not just about cleaning—it’s about transforming one’s relationship with life and the things that matter most.

Social Media

• Wikipedia: Marie Kondo
• Instagram: Marie Kondo (@mariekondo)
• YouTube: Marie Kondo
• LinkedIn: Marie Kondo
• Facebook: Marie Kondo

Personal Life

Marie Kondo, born on October 9, 1984, is 40 years old, maintaining a youthful energy that complements her serene public persona.

She has been married once, to Takumi Kawahara, whom she met at the age of 21 while waiting for an elevator at a speaking event. Their relationship began as a friendship and advisory partnership before evolving into romance, leading to their wedding in 2012.

Kawahara, originally from Hiroshima and previously employed in corporate HR and sales support in Osaka, left his career to become her manager and later CEO of KonMari Media, Inc. He supported her global ventures while they built a life together, initially in Tokyo, before relocating to San Francisco and then Los Angeles.

The couple has three children: daughters Satsuki Kawahara (born in 2015) and Miko Kawahara (born in 2016), and a son born in 2021, whose name has not been publicly shared; Kondo has openly discussed how parenthood shifted her priorities, embracing a more flexible approach to tidying amid the joys and messes of family life, as highlighted in her 2025 reflections on raising kids and finding calm through intentional decluttering.

Standing at 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) tall, her petite stature often surprises fans, contrasting with her commanding presence in the world of organization.

Net Worth

Marie Kondo‘s net worth is estimated at $8 million, built primarily through her KonMari empire of bestselling books like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (over 13 million copies sold globally), Netflix series such as Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, and KonMari Media, Inc., which includes certified consultant programs, online courses, and home product lines.

Her influence has driven surges in charity donations and retail sales, further boosting her financial footprint while embodying the joyful simplicity she preaches.