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Gratwanderer
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Shinrin-yoku: why Japan bathes in the forest

Forest bathing has been an established term in Japan since the 1980s. What lies behind it, and why it has less to do with hiking than with paying attention.

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The word shinrin-yoku combines “forest” and “bath”. It was coined in 1982 by Japan’s Forestry Agency, which wanted to bring city dwellers back into the woods.

No goal, no summit

Forest bathing is not about covering distance. You walk slowly, stop, listen. The forest is not crossed but perceived.

The point is not the trail, but the moment you stop thinking about where it ends.

What it means for us

Anyone who hikes in Switzerland knows the pull of the summit. Shinrin-yoku is a quiet counter-movement: the same forest, a different pace.

Room for your own experience: have you tried it yourself, maybe even in a Swiss forest?

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