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Japan is one of the most forested countries in the world, with approximately 70 percent of its land area covered by forest. Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing)* originated in Japan in 1982, and is now known around the world. In this month’s issue, ONO Nagisa, who has been exploring the activities of forest bathing in regional communities, tells us about the appeal of forests and how to enjoy them during the season of colorful autumn leaves.

What are some of the specific methods and benefits of forest bathing that you are working on?

We established the Future with Forest Association in 2015 with the vision of creating a prosperous future for both forests and people. Our goal is to make the most of Japan’s mountainous rural area forests, and to encourage people to gather together in them, so the forests and the people can get healthier together. Our main initiatives include supporting the full use of local forest spaces, developing human resources, and carrying out in-forest corporate training in partnership with local communities.

Around 2019, when the book Shinrin-yoku (“Walking in the Woods”) and other writings by Professor MIYAZAKI Yoshifumi** on the medical benefits of forest bathing became known overseas, we started getting inquiries from people overseas who wanted to experience and learn about forest bathing in Japan, so we began offering forest bathing experiences and human resource development for people from overseas.

In Japan, forest bathing is mostly understood as the traditional activity of healing oneself in a forest while interacting with it, but overseas, it is sometimes understood as a therapeutic treatment that can promote health in the forest. When overseas visitors actually visit a forest in a rural area of Japan and tell the local people that they’d like to forest bathe, there is almost never any such systematic program in place, so there can a difference in perception. We are always thinking about how to bridge this gap in our work.

What specific kinds of forest bathing does your group advocate?

There are three main themes in the programs we advocate.

The first is “Use all your senses.” In our daily lives, we spend a lot of time on our computers, and many of us are tired from being overwhelmed with tasks to do. We get people to have real contact with the forest that is felt by all their senses. They enjoy experiences that sharpen their senses, for example, by observing the genuine nature, listening to its sounds, touching the soil and leaves, smelling the forest, and feeling the coolness of spring water.

The second theme is “Feel the memory of the land.” The fact is, about half of Japan’s forests are man-made. Our predecessors planted the trees, cared for them, and continued to protect the forests. Over these long years of mindful nurturing, stories and legends about the forests emerged, and in some regions, forests have become objects of worship. One example is the chinju-no-mori*** small forests that surround Shinto shrines across Japan, where gods are said to reside. We go and ask the local people and others to tell us specific things that are unique to each region, and we also ask people to think about the history of the land that embraces the forests.

The third theme is “Imagine a future for forests and people.” We ask people to imagine what the trees they touched today might look like in a few decades or even in a few hundred years, and also imagine the future when their children become adults.

We are creating our programs based on these three themes.

Can you tell us about some specific programs?

They vary depending on the season and the number of people, but when we go into the forest, we do an activity called the “Five-senses check” to reset our minds and prepare everyone for the sensual enjoyment of the forest. Another popular thing we do is “Moribokko,” which invites people to feel the forest in a similar way as one might feel the sun while sunbathing. We ask them to lie down in the forest and do deep abdominal breathing, and it is so comfortable that some even fall asleep and snore. Other times, we have them dig in the dirt and smell the soil, or ask a local resident to tell us about the area.

In October 2023, you hosted the world’s first inbound tour to the birthplace of forest bathing. Please tell us about the tour and how the participants reacted.

Today, organizations that train forest bathing guides are being set up around the world. We organized last year’s inbound tour for a guide training organization from the U.S., and while it was an American organization, there were 23 participants of other nationalities, including Canada, Colombia, and New Zealand. In response to participants who wanted to learn about forest bathing in Japan, the birthplace of forest bathing, we arranged tours to the Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest in Nagano Prefecture, which is known in Japan as the birthplace of forest bathing,**** and to a forest in Okutama Town in Tokyo Metropolis.


The American organization has a structured program for teaching forest bathing, and I got the impression that it’s similar to psychotherapy—where one confronts oneself—in a forest. With this in mind, we first spent about three hours explaining the relationship between forests and people in Japan, and how people have a different way of interacting with forests in each region. In the case of the Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest, participants became very interested when we told them that Kiso cypress trees growing here are presented to the Ise Jingu Shrine for rebuilding***** and that it is believed that a god exists in each tree. Everyone sang the kiyari-uta, a work song that is sung when the tree is cut down and carried away. Also, they seemed to be quite interested when I told them that, since mountains are regarded as objects of faith in some regions in Japan, entering a forest heals you, not only because of some scientific factors or its beauty, but also because of the deep respect and a sense that your feelings are put in the proper place.

Can you recommend any forests that you would like people from overseas to visit to enjoy the autumn leaves? Also, please let us know if there is anything we should be careful about when going into a forest.

I recommend the Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest I mentioned earlier; you can enjoy a variety of autumn colors there, but only until around early November. In general, Japanese forests full of colored leaves from late October to November are extremely popular with overseas visitors. However, please be aware that many mountain forests are closed by the end of November. I recommend that you check the period when the mountains are closed before you go, and if you do want to forest bathe, then I recommend that you ask for a guide to accompany you into the forest.

The Karasugawa Valley Green and Mt. Nagamine in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture have forests where you can enjoy autumn colors for a relatively long period of time. The forests are open from late November to early December, before the snow falls.

Another place that is not far from a city center is Mt. Futaba in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Nodate****** is enjoyed early in the morning on the mountaintop. Wouldn’t it be fun to sip some matcha green tea in a forest of autumn leaves? You can also enjoy forest bathing at Omoto Park and Momijidani Park on the Itsukushima Island in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, which is also a popular destination for visitors from abroad, and easily accessible from the Hiroshima station.

It can get very cold quite suddenly in the forests after sunset in autumn and winter, so be sure to bring clothing that will keep you warm. You should inform your tour operator or hotel of your schedule before you leave, especially if you plan to go deep into a forest in the mountains. Also, during the season of autumn leaves, a variety of nuts can suddenly fall from the trees, so it is important to wear a hat to protect your head. Be sure to wear suitable clothing when you go into the forest, to enjoy a more comfortable and safe forest bathing experience.

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* The act of seeking healing for mind and body through contact with trees. Advocated by the Commissioner of the Forestry Agency of the Japanese Government in 1982, and now practiced around the world as a healthy way for anyone to easily spend time in nature.
** See Why do People Relax when They Go to the Forest? (an interview with Prof. MIYAZAKI) in the May 2024 issue of HIGHLIGHTING Japan.
*** A forest surrounding a local shrine dedicated to the guardian deity of that place. Or, the overall precincts of a shrine that is surrounded by a forest.
**** An area in Agematsu Town, Nagano Prefecture, that has a forest of Kiso cypress trees that are over 300 years old. See The Birthplace of Shinrin-Yoku — A Cypress Forest with Trees Over 300 Years Old in the May 2024 issue of HIGHLIGHTING Japan for details.
***** A ritual at the Ise Jingu (officially “Jingu”) Shrine in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, where the ancestral deity of the Imperial Family is worshipped. Shrine pavilions are rebuilt, sacred garments and treasures are replaced, and the sacred body of the deity is moved.
****** Making and enjoying matcha (powdered green tea) outdoors.

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By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: The Future with Forest Association

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