What Are The Differences Between Shinrin Yoku And Forest Bathing

Written By Hugh Asher

2nd February 2022

The practice of Forest Bathing has its origins in the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku and it is called ‘Forest Bathing’ as Shinrin Yoku translates into English as ‘Forest Bath’ (the characters even look a little like trees 森林浴). However, there are a number of key differences between the two practices although they both produce roughly the same benefits.

Shinrin Yoku

‘Shinrin-yoku’, like Forest Bathing, is the practice of walking slowly and leisurely through the woods or forest, inhaling the forest air, immersing yourself in the natural environment and mindfully using all your senses, opening them to the forest atmosphere and fostering an emotional connection to the landscape and environment. Spending time in forested areas for the purpose of enhancing health, wellbeing and happiness has been practiced in Japan for several centuries, having its origins in Buddhist nature-connection practices and the beliefs within the Shinto religion about the healing powers of forests, and the trees spirits which live within them.

Japansese Forest Trail

However, since the 1970s Japan has seen substantial increases in anxiety and stress-related illness, attributed to increased urbanisation and working long overtime hours. In fact the Japanese have coined the term ‘Karoshi’ (過労死) which can be translated literally as ‘overwork death’, to describe this type of sudden occupational mortality. Japan is very heavily forested with almost 70% tree cover and in 1982 Tomohide Akiyama, the Director General of the Japanese Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries coined the phrase ‘Shinrin-yoku’ to describe the practice of spending time in the forest to improve health and wellbeing through connection with nature. The campaign to promote the idea that people should visit the forests to benefit their health and wellbeing also had a second purpose, which was to protect the forests. Tomohide Akiyama felt that if people felt the health benefits of visiting the forests, that they would be more motivated to do things to protect and look after them.

The first Shinrin Yoku trail to open in Japan was Akasawa in Nagano prefecture, in an area known as The Samurai Trail. The Akiasawa Forest is said to be one of the most beautiful in Japan and has an abundance of Japanese Cypress or Hinoki and is now referred to as the Akasawa National Recreation Forest or ‘Rest Forest’. It was designated as a Forest Therapy Centre in 2006 and has eight Shinrin-Yoku trails to meet different peoples’ fitness and time availability requirements. These trails vary from 1.5 km to 3.5 km in length.

There are now 65 Forest Therapy centres across Japan. Each centre has a Forest Therapy base and marked trails as well as certified Forest Therapy guides.

Forest Bathing

People walking in a forest

Forest Bathing promotes improved health and wellbeing by supporting people to increase their connection with nature through all their senses in a similar way. However, there are not the same number of designated ‘Forest Bathing Trails’ outside of Japan and there is perhaps more of a focus on the Shinrin Yoku Forest Therapy trails to complete the circuit of the trail than in Western Forest Bathing where there is little focus on achieving geographic goals and there is often a stronger focus on going ‘off trail’. There may also be a greater focus because of this on walking slightly longer distances on Shinrin Yoku trails where the trails can be up to 3.5 km and are sometimes combined to create a longer walk. When Forest Bathing, people will often walk less than a mile (about 1.6km).

Similarities between Forest Bathing and Shinrin Yoku

Connection with Nature

Both Forest Bathing, Forest Therapy and Shinrin Yoku promote increased connection with nature and the benefits to mental, emotional and physical health and wellbeing are supported by empirical research.

Duration

The duration of both Shinrin Yoku and Forest Bathing activities is usually between 2 and 3 hours.

Invitations

Certainly if you are being guided, both Shinrin Yoku and Forest Bathing guides will offer you ‘invitations’. These are activities using your various senses that are used to to encourage greater connection with nature.

Sharing

After nature connection activities in both Shinrin Yoku and Forest Bathing, participants will often come together to share their experiences in a sharing circle or similar.

Perhaps because of its origin in Japan, Forest Bathing, like Shinrin Yoku walks often end with a tea ceremony.

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Hugh Asher

I’m Hugh and I’m a Certified Forest Bathing Guide and Forest Therapy Practitioner, having trained with the Forest Therapy Institute and the Forest Therapy Hub. My purpose in life is to inspire people to improve their wellbeing, and to help people to help and inspire others to improve their wellbeing. I do this through promoting greater nature connection as I am a passionate believer in the benefits to health and wellbeing that nature and increased connection to nature can bring.

Professionally, I have worked for over twenty years supporting people experiencing: mental health problems; autism; learning disabilities; school exclusion; experience of the care system; and a history of offending behaviour. Currently I am the ‘Recovery Through Nature Lead’ in a residential rehab for people experiencing drug and alcohol problems.

I have a PhD in Therapeutic Relationships, but Dr. Hugh makes me sound too much like a Time Lord.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-asher/
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