Genki Kawamura was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1979. In 2012, he published his first novel, If Cats Disappeared from the World, which has been translated into 35 languages and sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His other books include One Hundred Flowers, The Horse and I, and Whispering Rooms, co-authored with Marie Kondo. In 2022, Kawamura became the first Japanese filmmaker to receive the Best Director Award at the San Sebasti n International Film Festival. In 2025, his second feature film Exit 8, inspired by a cult video game, was chosen as an Official Selection at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

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.

Marie 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's simple yet revolutionary approach to living more joyfully has transformed countless homes and lives.

Marie has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, The Guardian, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Ellen Show. She has also been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world.

Her goal, now and always, is to spark joy everywhere. With Letter from Japan, she hopes to share the traditions of her homeland to spark joy all over the world.