It's like the "I have so many clothes, but nothing to wear" situation!

So, when do I feel the urge to do this sorting? It's when I feel that useless things have started to overflow around me. The moment I notice this state, I feel an unpleasant stagnation, as if my 'energy' has stalled. It makes me feel like I'm living a cluttered life. In my experience, when my home is cluttered, my mind is often in the same state. This is a state where I don't know what's important to me or what's unnecessary, and I feel too lazy or unwilling to make those judgments. And when I'm in that state, my desire to cherish what's truly important dwindles. Furthermore, I start to wonder if what I'm seeking might actually be something else entirely. A simple example would be the situation of "having so many clothes, but nothing to wear." The external and internal states are linked. When things are cluttered externally, the mind is cluttered too.

What is the definition of "Danshari"?

Now, this is the main topic. And it's why I used the past tense when I said, "I thought I was good at it" at the beginning. It's because I read the book "Danshari" (by Hideko Yamashita, published by Magazine House). A friend who knows my habit of becoming a regular super-organizer told me, "There's a book that's really popular right now, written by someone with the same ideas as you, Fujiwara-san." Intrigued by the unexpected title, "Danshari?", I decided to buy it. In a nutshell, it's one of those "tidying method" books that are released a few times a year. But what sets it apart is that it's not just about tidying up. It's a method of organization that's been distilled into a philosophy.

The author defines "Danshari" as "an action technique to know yourself through decluttering, organize mental chaos, and make life more comfortable." I deeply resonated with this idea, thinking, "Exactly!" But if it were just that, it would be the same as what I've been doing. However, the actual methodology was different. It made me realize, "Ah, I was only halfway there and too lenient!" The philosophy and actions are so linked, and so thorough. I felt almost apologetic for the friend saying, "She has the same ideas as you." For example, the passage, "Isn't your closet full of the resentment of things whose existence value has been denied because they are unused?" made me reflect that I had only been organizing for myself, without considering the objects themselves. If I had thought that way, I would have been more discerning when purchasing items, and more thorough when organizing to avoid negating their existence. Neither I nor the objects want to deny each other. Things come alive when they are used with care, and it's through doing so that affection for them grows. Isn't it rather like how we treat people?

Escaping the Regular Super-Organizer (2)

Out of sight, in sight, and on display

Furthermore, I realized that while I could organize things neatly for appearance, I hadn't reached the stage of making them more user-friendly. According to this book, creating a spacious environment by organizing storage to 70% for hidden areas, 50% for visible areas, and 10% for display areas not only improves the look but also the usability. Indeed, if you store more than that, it becomes a hassle to take things out, and that's precisely why things get cluttered again sooner or later. So, I finally understood that organizing isn't just about sorting things into "need" or "don't need," but also about improving usability and allowing necessary items to be handled with care!

Immediately after reading the book, I started "Danshari" throughout my house. I was able to quickly organize the hidden storage areas like closets, shoe cabinets, and bookshelves, aiming for the 70% guideline. Perhaps this was thanks to my previous habits. The problem was the "Danshari" of my documents. I have a vast collection of magazine clippings I've been gathering for about 20 years. I had them organized in binders, but they were taking up too much space, making other areas difficult to use. Moreover, even though they were in binders, I rarely opened them recently, and since I had only roughly categorized them by actresses, art, books, opera, etc., it was a hassle to find a specific clipping. Of course, just because I don't look at them often doesn't mean they are useless. These are materials I've loved and been interested in for 20 years. I couldn't possibly throw them away, no matter how much space they took up.

So, I came up with the idea of scanning them and managing them on a memory stick (though I later wondered if this method is commonplace now). With this, I could easily and finely categorize "actress" materials, whether it's Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Monroe, or anyone else! The idea was good, but a month has passed, and as I write this manuscript, it's still not finished. I diligently scan whenever I find time, but "Oh, it would be more convenient to scan this file too," and the number of things to scan keeps increasing. However, I wouldn't have been able to do such a tedious and patient task without the momentum from reading "Danshari." But thanks to it, I've gained space, rearranged items to where they logically belong, and dramatically improved usability. I'm finding it so engaging that I'm now in a state where I can't stop, thinking, "I should scan this too!"

However, despite all this effort and time, the appearance of my room probably hasn't changed in the eyes of others. After all, I'm diligently "Danshari-ing" the hidden areas behind doors and even more hidden spaces. But the feeling of satisfaction and clarity, like shedding 20 years of accumulated grime, and the contentment of having put things back in their proper places – these are things only I need to know. I doubt I'll become a regular super-organizer again. This is because I intend to practice "Danshari" on a daily basis.