شينرين-يوكو (الاستحمام في الغابة) في اليابان كتدخل للصحة النفسية في عصر تغير المناخ

Background

Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing) in Japan (Photo courtesy of Future with Forest Foundation)

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly more apparent with intensifying extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and worsening air quality, which poses a significant threat to ecosystems and public health worldwide. Located in East Asia comprising of over 6,800 islands, Japan has climate that varies by latitude, but the country generally experiences four distinct seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) [1]. The population of Japan is over 120 million, 29 percent of which is aged 65 and older [1].

Japan is highly exposed to various climate hazards such as tropical storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding; it is also experiencing more frequent and increasingly intensifying typhoons [2,3]. Although Japan’s capacity to adapt to climate hazards is considered high due to its economy and disaster preparedness, several climate-related natural disasters in the past have caused significant impacts, including power outages, forced evacuation of residents, damaged buildings and infrastructure, and physical and mental harm to the people [4,5,6].

Mental health problems are already a significant concern in Japan. Approximately five million people in the nation receive treatments for mental and behavioral disorders [7], but this could be underreported.

Climate change and mental health in Japan

In a study that examined climate anxiety in four of the top emitters of greenhouse gases in the world: China, India, Japan, and the United States, it found that climate anxiety was lowest among the Japanese and American participants [8]. Meanwhile, Dentsu Institute conducted an online survey in 2023 on 1,000 people in Japan aged 16 to 25 years old that showed 72.6 percent of the respondents were “worried” about climate change and 49.1 percent agreed with the statement, “The emotional toll caused by climate change is negatively affecting my daily life.” [9].

Additionally, according to a 2023 survey conducted by marketing research company Cross Marketing targeting 2,400 men and women aged 20 to 79 across Japan, 74 percent of respondents reported feeling anxious about climate change. Respondents raised concerns about the impact on the environment, with 44 percent expressing that “Japan will lose its four seasons” due to record-breaking hot days, followed by 30 percent concerned about “changes in the habitat of fish and shellfish in Japanese waters.” Overall, respondents felt more anxious about the effects of natural disasters that could someday happen to them than about the impact of climate change on the ecosystem [10]. Interventions are needed to address climate anxiety, and one potential intervention is a nature-based solution that has existed in Japan for decades.