The Truth About Marie Kondo's Husband, Takumi Kawahara

Thanks to her books, her Netflix show, and her blog, we feel we know all there is to know about Marie Kondo. And while she is happy to share tips and tricks about how to keep your space free of clutter, she keeps a low profile when it comes to sharing the part of her life that sparks the deepest joy for her: her family. 

Kondo is the proud mother of two beautiful little girls, Satsuki and Miko; and the wife of Takumi Kawahara, who she married in 2012 (via Good Housekeeping). In a tribute to her grandmother, who the tidying-up guru credits as her inspiration and influence, Kondo shares a touching story about her engagement ring, which was not a gift from Kawahara. She writes, "I received her engagement ring when she passed away. When Takumi, my husband proposed to me, he didn't have the money to buy me a ring. I told him 'I don't need a ring! You can give me this ring instead.' Her ring is the one he gave to me when he proposed."

It is not clear when or how Kondo and Kawahara met. But Good Housekeeping says Kawahara was based in Osaka, Japan, where he had a corporate role which was involved in sales and marketing. But once the KonMari method became popular, he left that job and supported Kondo by becoming her manager. In 2015, he assumed the role of CEO for KonMari Media, and he's now Kondo's producer (he's the man behind her Netflix television show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo), book manager (the one who closes her book deals), as well as Instagram photographer (he takes photos for Kondo's Instagram accounts).

Like his wife, Kawahara follows the KonMari method for keeping their space clutter-free (did he have a choice?). She tells Good Housekeeping, "He was able to clean and be very organized even before he read my book, but it was certainly even more pronounced after he read my book. He became even more efficient. Fundamentally speaking, we're in the same groove."