Decluttering(b): Self-Cultivation by Subtraction

Shortly thereafter, Azuchi happened to visit her family in Japan, where she took a popular domestic decluttering course. The philosophy resonated deeply with her, and she went on to obtain certification as an organizational consultant before she returned to Taiwan to hang out her shingle as a professional organizer. She has delivered several lectures on the subject and paid six or seven home visits to clients.    

   She describes the chaos typical of a Taiwanese home as shoe racks jam-packed at the entrance, hallways piled high with all manner of junk, dining tables nearly completely covered, wardrobes providing no room for clothes to breathe. She even thinks that if you open a storage room door, you'll find a stash of rarely used or difficult-to-remove and completely forgotten objects. "Most people mistakenly believe that shoving objects into cabinets so that they're out of sight counts as organizing," she explains. "But with that approach you'll just end up accumulating more and more stuff and forgetting what you have. Regularly-used objects will get misplaced, only adding to the chaos."

   Azuchi, who travels back and forth between Taiwan and Japan, notes that Japanese junk dealers assess detailed charges based on weight when disposing of large pieces of furniture. Hence, everyone in Japan realizes that accumulating stuff has its costs, and that in turn leads to greater self-discipline. Her advice is to get rid of unnecessary objects, leaving only what best suits you or is currently necessary. She says, "Miraculously, as your living space takes on a new look, your life will also take a turn for the better!"

在那之后不久，刚好安土回日本探亲，接触到当时日本正夯的『家庭杂物整理术』专业课程。那个道理让她感同身受，她继续取得 House Keeping 协会认定的整理收纳顾问证照后，回台开设工作室，除了举办讲座，也曾有 6、7 次到府咨商的经验。

在安土眼中，台湾家庭典型的『乱象』是：从入口的鞋柜就呈现爆满的状态、走道堆栈着杂物、餐桌桌面难见天日、衣柜难以呼吸、打开储藏室，则发现许多极少使用、取出困难、早被遗忘的物品。『一般人误以为把东西收到柜子「看不见」就是整理，然而，这种方式只会让人越积越多，忘了自己有什么，常用的东西却四处乱放，更添凌乱。』

穿梭台、日两地的安土则表示，对于处理大型家具等废弃物，日本向来不存在「免费资源回收」的机制，回收商都要秤斤论两地收费，因此人人都意识到「囤积物品」是非常花费成本、需要自律的事。她的建议是：把不必要的东西丢掉，只留下现在所需、最适合自己的物品。她表示：『奇妙的是，当空间呈现新的面貌，你的人生也会变得更好！』