Forest Therapy Kyoto

expert: licensed forest therapy guide, Jesse Efron

Why forest therapy?

            Forest Therapy is a research based public health practiced based on the Japanese practice of shinrinyoku, or forest bathing. With a licensed forest therapy guide, participants will visit the forest for a slow and immersive experience designed to utilize the five senses. The practice is becoming so widely recognized that many of the world’s governments have moved for forest therapy to be covered by health insurance. Researchers, doctors, and health practitioners are all contributing to the growing body of international research to prove what 99% of our human evolution has already showed us, nature is vital to our health.

Why forest therapy in Kyoto by the Sea?

            A key component of a good forest therapy trail is location. This means having a suitable biodiversity, trail layout, and calming environment. The location for this particular forest therapy experience is in a rare alpine beech forest on the Tango Peninsula. The experience takes participants on a journey to a (former) village that has been reclaimed by nature. During the session, participants will learn not only about how to do forest therapy, the health benefits, and the ways to continue the practice on their own, but also about the history of the former village of Uchiyama: the stone foundations of which are still visible through the spreading moss that is gently shaded by the trees trees taking back the terraced rice fields. Sessions are always tailored to the participants: which includes adjusting the difficulty level (not physical difficulty), length of the experience (from 90 minutes up to 3 or 4 hours), and activities done during the session.

About our forest therapist

            Jesse Efron works for Kyoto by the Sea DMO and has been living on the north shore of the Tango Peninsula since 2014. Jesse is dually licensed as a Forest Therapist with the Forest Therapy Society of Japan, and as a licensed Forest Therapy Guide with the INFTA (the international organization that wrote the handbook of forest therapy). Jesse is also a registered food handler and certified in CPR and first aid. Balancing out the slow and calm nature of forest therapy, Jesse is also a USATF certified running coach with fifteen years of experience coaching athletes ranging from elites to individuals looking to run their first marathon. Run fast walk slow!

Where is this experience?

Looking to book this experience? Need more information? Let us know!