Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest: Where Shinrin-yoku Began

This summer, we visited the Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest (赤沢自然休養林) in Nagano. I had just finished my Forest Therapy Guide course with the Shinrin Therapy Society, so of course I was curious to see the place where shinrin-yoku (森林浴), or forest bathing, was born.

And to already jump to the conclusion: it was really mind-blowing.

First of all, I totally forgot to make a reservation for the Forest Therapy Guide I had been looking forward to, so there was no chance of that. Fortunately, the rijichō (chairperson) of NPO "kiso hinoki no mori" happened to be there and offered us an hour-long guided walk through the forest. I learned so much from him, and it made the whole visit very worthwhile.

For example, he showed us how to capture the komorebi (木漏れ日), the sunlight filtering through the trees. He used a small piece of white paper to catch the light, making the patterns visible on the paper. It was a simple way of showing something that can otherwise be quite abstract to explain.

What is forest bathing?

The Akasawa English brochure describes the benefits of forest bathing through things like the fragrance and colours of the forest, forest air, shade, and the dampening of sound.

During my Forest Therapy Guide course, I learned about phytoncides: volatile substances released by trees and other plants. They are one of the factors thought to contribute to the effects of spending time in a forest, together with all the other sensory experiences.

But being in Akasawa made some of this much more concrete for me.

For example, even though we did not constantly smell the distinct fragrance of hinoki (Japanese cypress) while walking through the forest, I learned that the compounds released by the trees have an effect on insects. There are relatively few insects in these hinoki forests.

No need to worry too much about getting bitten by mosquitoes!

Of course, this also has consequences for the forest ecosystem, as fewer insects means fewer animals that depend on them.

300-year-old trees

I was a little concerned beforehand because we went in the middle of the hot summer, on August 8th. But the Akasawa Forest was beautiful and surprisingly comfortable. The trees provided plenty of shade, and the forest felt much cooler than I had expected.

We also learned that hinoki takes a very long time to grow. Some of the mature trees in Akasawa are more than 300 years old.

The Kiso area has a long history of forestry, and these forests were once heavily exploited because the wood was so valuable. During the Edo period, the Owari domain introduced very strict rules to protect the remaining trees.

One famous expression associated with these rules is:

「木一本首一つ、枝一本腕一つ」

Literally, “one tree, one head; one branch, one arm.” Cutting down a protected tree could cost you your life, while taking a branch could cost you an arm.

The strict protection helped the Kiso forests recover, and today the old hinoki trees are one of the reasons Akasawa is so special.

The birthplace of shinrin-yoku

Akasawa had already been designated as Japan's first Natural Recreation Forest in 1970. In 1982, the Japanese Forestry Agency began promoting shinrin-yoku, and Akasawa became closely associated with its birth.

It is interesting to think about how the relationship with this forest has changed over time. The trees were once primarily valued as timber. Then the forests needed to be protected because the valuable trees were becoming scarce. And today, people also come here simply to spend time among those trees.

Would I recommend it?

Definitely!

If you are interested in shinrin-yoku, Forest Therapy or Japanese forest culture, I think Akasawa is a very interesting place to visit.

If you don't speak Japanese, you may want to bring your own translator if you would like a guided tour.

Or you can just follow one of the many easy trails through the forest and enjoy forest bathing on your own.

You don't necessarily need to know anything about shinrin-yoku to enjoy being there.

Just walk, look around, breathe, listen, and notice the nature.