Komono entail small articles, miscellaneous items, accessories, gadgets, small tools, parts, etc. They are the things which are placed, stored, and accumulate “just because.”
The basic order for sorting komono is as follows:
- CDs and DVDs
- Skincare products: Moisturizers, cleansers, toners, etc.
- Makeup: foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadows, etc.
- Accessories: jewellery, belts, hats, scarves, etc.
- Valuables: passports, credit cards, cash, important documents, etc.
- Electrical equipment and appliances: digital cameras, chargers, cords, etc.
- Household equipment: stationery, writing materials, sewing kits, etc.
- Household supplies: medications, cleaning products, tissues, etc.
- Kitchen goods and food supplies: utensils, cookware, appliances, etc.
- Other items: spare change, figurines, souvenirs, etc.
If you have many items related to a particular interest or hobby, treat these as a single subcategory.
Amongst these categories, you may be confronted with items of the following types:
Gifts
Gifts are the embodiment of someone’s expression of love and consideration. This can make it difficult to do them away.
It is good to recognise that the true purpose of a present is to be received. Presents are a means for conveying someone’s feelings, not ‘things’ per se.
When viewed from this perspective, you don’t need to feel guilty for parting with gifts. It would have been nice if you could use it with joy. But surely the person who gave it to you doesn’t want you to use it out of a sense of obligation. Neither does he or she want you to put it away without using it, only to feel guilty every time you see it.
Thank the gift for the joy it gave you when you first received it, then allow yourself to let it go.
Cosmetic samples
Saved by some people for future trips, cosmetic samples have a very short shelf life. If you didn’t use a sample a month after receiving it, you are better off discarding it in any case. Either you will not use it for many more months, or when you do, they will not give you the effect you expected them to.
Unidentified cords or plugs
If you see a cord and wonder what on earth it is for, you will probably never use it again. Mysterious cords will always remain just that—a mystery. Keep only those cords that you can clearly identify and get rid of the rest.
Broken appliances
If they do not work now, they will not work in the future. Figure out how you should dispose of them and resolve to take them all out.
Spare buttons
Buttons rarely fall off our clothing, and when they do it is usually a sign the piece of clothing has exceeded its use. For coats and jackets, you can sew the spares to the lining when you buy them. When you are not doing that, get rid of them right away.
Things you bought in a craze
Most of us are guilty of buying something (expensive) that was hyped up either by ourselves or our environment. Something we soon realised we did not really need or use all that much. Thank the item for the boost it gave you when you bought it and then just let it go.
Free novelty goods
An assortment of promotional knick-knacks you never asked for but somehow accumulated: branded trinkets, barely functional freebies… None of these are going to bring you any pleasure. Discard or recycle them without any qualms.
