Emotional, Restorative and Vitalizing Effects of Forest and Urban Environments at Four Sites in Japan

Norimasa Takayama, Kalevi Korpela, Juyoung Lee, Takeshi Morikawa, Yuko Tsunetsugu, Bum-Jin Park, Qing Li, Liisa Tyrväinen, Yoshifumi Miyazaki and Takahide Kagawa
Additional contact information
Norimasa Takayama: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
Kalevi Korpela: School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Tampere, Kalevantie 4, Tampere FI-33104, Finland
Juyoung Lee: Korea Forest Service, Government Complex 1, 189 Cheongsa-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon 302-701, Korea
Takeshi Morikawa: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
Yuko Tsunetsugu: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
Bum-Jin Park: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 305-764, Korea
Qing Li: Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
Liisa Tyrväinen: Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA), PO Box 18 (Jokiniemenkuja 1), Vantaa FI-01301, Finland
Yoshifumi Miyazaki: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Takahide Kagawa: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-24

Abstract: The present study investigated the well-being effects of short-term forest walking and viewing (“forest bathing”). The hypothesis in our study was that both environment (forest vs. urban) and activity (walking and viewing) would influence psychological outcomes. An additional aim was to enhance basic research using several psychological methods. We conducted the experiments using 45 respondents in four areas of Japan from August to September, 2011. The hypothesis in our study was supported, because significant interaction terms between the environment and activity were confirmed regarding the Profile of Mood States (POMS) indexes, Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS) and Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS). No statistical differences between the two experimental groups in any of the ten scales were found before the experiment. However, feelings of vigor and positive effects, as well as feelings of subjective recovery and vitality were stronger in the forest environment than in the urban environment.

Keywords: forest bathing ( Shinrin-yoku ); psychological outcome; restorativeness; vitalization; emotion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (32)

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