Shinrin-yoku — what is the Japanese practice of "forest bathing"
森林浴 (shinrin-yoku, literally "forest bathing") is not a medical procedure and not a hike, but a leisurely stay in the forest for well-being: walking slowly, without a goal of getting somewhere, without a phone and without physical exertion. The term was coined by the Japanese forestry agency in 1982 to encourage people to visit forests more often, and since then it has taken root both in Japan itself and beyond its borders.
"Shinrin-yoku" in many articles turns into either a medical procedure or a type of hike. In fact, it is a fairly young and quite specific term with its own author and year. Let's look at who invented it and why, how a leisurely walk in the forest differs from shinrin-yoku, and what Japanese research actually shows — without promises of a cure.
Not a hike and not a procedure: what shinrin-yoku is
森林浴 is not a medical procedure and not a sports hike, but a practice of leisurely staying in the forest for well-being. The idea is simple: walk slowly, without a goal of getting somewhere, without a phone and without physical exertion, focusing on your own sensations rather than on a route or pace.
How it differs from an ordinary walk
An ordinary walk in the forest can pursue any goal — to reach a point, to stretch, to burn calories. Shinrin-yoku by definition is not about that: speed and route do not matter; what matters is spending as much time as possible among trees and paying attention to the sound, smell and light of the forest, not to the distance covered.
林 — значение: grove, small forest, forest (in compound words) — онъёми: リン — кунъёми: はやし — 8 штрих(ов). 林 — "grove": two 木 "tree" signs side by side. Next to it stands 森 "forest" — already three trees, and together they form 森林 "forest". Then 浴 "bathing", the same sign as in 入浴 "to take a bath": literally "bathing in the forest".
The word was coined by the forestry agency in 1982
The term 森林浴 is young, and — unusually for Japanese cultural vocabulary — it has a precise author and a precise date. In 1982, the head of the Japanese Forestry Agency (林野庁), Akiyama Tomohide, proposed it by analogy with 温泉浴 "hot spring bathing", 海水浴 "sea bathing" and 日光浴 "sunbathing". The idea was published on July 29 of that year in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper under the title "the concept of forest bathing".
Why the agency needed a new word
The task was practical: to bring city dwellers into the state forests managed by the agency. The agency itself explains the idea simply — "a way to easily become friends with the forest" — and a short word modeled on "sea bathing" told the city dweller why to go there. The first nationwide shinrin-yoku gathering took place in the Akasawa forest in Nagano Prefecture; Japanese reference books do not give an exact date, but this place has since been called the birthplace of the practice.
What research shows — without promises of a cure
In Japan, a separate field of "forest therapy" (森林セラピー) has developed: it was proposed in 2003 by physiological anthropologist Miyazaki Yoshifumi, and in 2005 a dedicated association registered "forest therapy" and "therapeutic trail" as trademarks. In studies of this field, blood pressure, pulse and stress markers are measured before and after time spent in the forest, and positive changes compared to the urban environment are noted.
Why this is not a treatment
Even in the most cited Japanese works — for example, in studies by Li Qing's team on the effect of the forest on immune cells, begun in 2007 — the focus is on measurable effects. Indicators change, but that is not the same as a therapeutic effect: the disease does not disappear. Shinrin-yoku does not replace treatment and does not promise to cure a specific disease: it is a practice for well-being, not a medical service.
FAQ
- What is shinrin-yoku?
- 森林浴 (shinrin-yoku) literally means "forest bathing": a leisurely, aimless stay in the forest for well-being — without a phone, haste or a task of getting somewhere. It is not a hike and not a medical procedure, but a way to spend time among trees.
- How is "shinrin-yoku" written and read?
- It is written 森林浴, read しんりんよく. 森林 (shinrin) means "forest" — from 林 "grove" (two trees) to 森 "forest" (three trees); 浴 is "bathing", the same sign as in 入浴 "to take a bath". Literally — "bathing in the forest".
- How does shinrin-yoku differ from an ordinary walk in the forest?
- An ordinary walk usually has a goal — to get somewhere, to stretch, to complete a route. Shinrin-yoku has no goal of getting anywhere at all: what matters is not speed or distance, but time spent among trees, without a phone and haste.
- Is it true that shinrin-yoku heals?
- No, it does not imply medical promises. Japanese studies record changes in individual indicators — blood pressure, pulse, stress markers — but shinrin-yoku does not treat specific diseases and does not replace medical care.
Sources
Updated: 2026-09-21