Letter from Japan (Hardcover)

Escape to Japan with Marie Kondo's Letter from Japan, the new book for anyone who wants to bring calm, wonder and beauty to their life through Japanese culture - the perfect gift this autumn.

In her brand-new book Marie Kondo, bestselling author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, reveals the aspects of Japanese culture that are intrinsic to a lifestyle full of calm, wonder and beauty. Through six chapters - Cherish, Perfect, Consider, Harmonise, Purify, and Savour - we learn about the guiding principles that define the values that flow through the arts, rituals, and sensibilities of Japan, and by which Marie leads her life.

We discover why appreciating the beauty of sakura, cherry blossom, allows for a moment to deeply experience a season through a single entity (Cherish). In the traditional tea ceremony, we see the importance of kiwameru, the Japanese word for achieving mastery or perfection (Perfect). In umami, we taste how something simple and delicious can nourish the heart (Savour). We explore why the things left unsaid, ma, are just as important as the words we say (Harmonise). Above all, we learn how recognising these moments - the ones that bring happiness and fulfilment - can lead to a more satisfying and joyful life.

About the Authors

Marie Kondo is an internationally bestselling author, having sold 14 million books over the last ten years alone, translated into more than 40 languages. She is the founder of KonMari Media, Inc., and oversees the Consultant Program with experts trained in her methods active in over 50 countries. She also hosted the Emmy-nominated Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. While globally active, Marie is based in Japan. She began her consultancy as a 19-year-old university student in Tokyo, which inspired her to write, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, which landed at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and topped bestseller charts around the world. 

Marie Iida is a writer and Japanese-English interpreter based in Los Angeles. She played a key role as the on-camera interpreter in the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Her writing in translation includes over half a dozen monographs on contemporary Japanese artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Toyo Ito, and Kenya Hara for Rizzoli New York. Most recently, she co-translated Lady Joker (Soho Press/Baskerville), the acclaimed literary masterpiece by Kaoru Takamura, alongside Allison Markin Powell.