(Tatsusawa-fudo falls in summer)
Editor’s Definition: What is forest bathing? Also known as shinrin-yoku, forest bathing is the practice of immersing oneself in a forest environment to promote physical and mental well-being by connecting with nature through sensory experiences.
I first visited Japan when I was sixteen years old. A friend from Tokyo had invited me. We had met while we both studying at my U.S. high school, and one of the first places she took me was Kamakura. It was summer, and although I was used to the hot temperatures of the scorching Arizona desert, I found myself completely mesmerized by the unfamiliar combination of lush green trees, sultry humid air and deafening sound of chirping cicadas.
“The cicadas sound so loud, it almost feels like silence,” I remember saying to my friend. And while this felt somewhat contradictory, I later learned that legendary poet Matsuo Basho had penned a haiku which describes a similar sentiment. After visiting a forested mountain temple in Yamagata Prefecture, he wrote:
Ah, such vast stillness!
Even the cicada’s cry
Sinks into the stone.
The History of Forest Bathing
Learning this, I felt vindicated that my seemingly counterintuitive observation was, in fact, an inadvertent echo of an ancient literary master. And now, I also understand that I was likely tapping into a sort of primal awareness that I had never before accessed as a hyper-urbanized American teenager. Something that today one might associate with the practice of forest bathing.
The act of seeking tranquility by immersing oneself deep within a forested milieu stretches back centuries; Basho’s poem above dates back to 1689. The term “forest bathing” (shinrin-yoku) first appeared in 1982 when Japan held its first conference of the same name. The gathering occurred in Nagano Prefecture’s Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest, home to dense cypress groves. It has since been recognized as the practice’s birthplace.
The term shinrin-yoku was first proposed by Tomohide Akiyama, an official with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He pointed toward the healing properties found in phytoncides. Trees and plants produce these chemicals to help fight off microbes, fungi and bacteria. Scientists have identified these as having a positive effect on human mental and physical health. Besides reducing levels of stress- inducing cortisol, they help boost the efforts of our natural killer cells to fight off invading pathogens.
Guide to Forest Bathing in Japan
(Forest Bathing in Iwate)
One needn’t head into a forest thicket to experience these benefits, however. They may also be accessed, for example, by heading to an onsen (natural hot spring) to soak in a tub crafted from fragrant hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood. Since foods like onion, garlic and numerous spices also contain phytoncides, healing can take place right in your own kitchen.
Simply by getting out and exploring, you can achieve similar effects. This can be as simple as taking a walk at dusk through a favorite park. I have also recently been astounded by the number of rosemary plants I have spotted on the grounds of various cafés and shopping complexes throughout the metropolis, and sometimes just in random sidewalk planters. By gently rubbing a stalk to release its aromatic oil and then inhaling it deeply, I have invariably found that this immediately stimulates a sense of profound calm.
Forest Bathing in Appi Kogen
For those looking to have a true shinrin-yoku experience, numerous urban forests are also accessible to modern city dwellers. Several are easily accessible within Tokyo’s borders. If you wish to head further afield, numerous locations throughout the Japanese archipelago exist to partake in this type of restorative practice. One ideal region is Appi Kogen in Iwate prefecture. This is a plateau whose topography includes a verdant forest of naturally- generated (i.e., not human-planted) beech trees. This an ideal milieu to experience the calming phenomenon of komorebi, which literally means “sun filtering through trees.”
Forest Bathing at Fudo Falls
(Fudo Falls)
The region also features a sacred waterfall called Fudo Falls, which is one of Japan’s top 100 waterfalls. The path to reach the cascade is nestled amidst plush greenery. Several scarlet-red torii (shrine gates) indicate the area’s long and rich history of shugendo (worship by mountain ascetics). Today’s forest bathing practices are clearly more accessible than what was faced by people in centuries past. Back then, paths through the verdant density had not yet been carved, and protection against teeming insects and other creatures was likely hard to come by. Today, however, we can simply slow down and reap the benefits on offer.
“Experiencing forest bathing at Appi Kogen was the first time I really felt like I connected deeply with nature,” commented Manami Horii. A Kansai-based interpreter, Horii participated in one of the tours organized by Tranquwell Japan Wellness Retreats. “Feeling the wind, seeing the beautiful surrounding greenery and inhaling the smell of the earth. These were all experiences I do not normally have in my everyday life. This stimulation of all my senses helped me not only to digitally detox but also return to zero, and remember who I really am.”
