Spark Joy: An Illustrated Guide to the Japanese Art of Tidying

Objects that have been steeped in memories carry a much clearer imprint of special times.

mono no aware. This Japanese term, which literally means ‘pathos of things’, describes the deep emotion that is evoked when we are touched by nature, art or the lives of others with an awareness of their transience. It also refers to the essence of things and our ability to feel that essence.

Objects steeped in memories keep the past crystal clear within our minds.

After completely sorting his things and getting rid of twenty bags of stuff, we tackled the bathroom and communal spaces. Then we finished off with a lesson on storage.

Living mindfully in a beautiful space, they will now be able to give up any habits they’ve always wanted to quit, to see clearly what they really want to achieve and to do what it takes to get there.

Even someone like my father, who had avoided tidying for a whole decade, can do it very quickly once they set their mind to it and can witness the dramatic impact it has on their life.

Once you have dealt properly with the current phase of your life, the next will come to you naturally.

worst of all, a new digital television had been plunked on top of the old analogue TV, in a bold TV-on-TV arrangement.

There are three facets to the spirit that dwells in material things: the spirit of the materials from which the things are made, the spirit of the person who made them, and the spirit of the person who uses them.