IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v13y2016i8p781-d75262.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Physiological Effects of Nature Therapy: A Review of the Research in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Chorong Song

    (Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan)

  • Harumi Ikei

    (Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
    Current Address: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan)

  • Yoshifumi Miyazaki

    (Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan)

Abstract

Humans have evolved into what they are today after the passage of 6–7 million years. If we define the beginning of urbanization as the rise of the industrial revolution, less than 0.01% of our species’ history has been spent in modern surroundings. Humans have spent over 99.99% of their time living in the natural environment. The gap between the natural setting, for which our physiological functions are adapted, and the highly urbanized and artificial setting that we inhabit is a contributing cause of the “stress state” in modern people. In recent years, scientific evidence supporting the physiological effects of relaxation caused by natural stimuli has accumulated. This review aimed to objectively demonstrate the physiological effects of nature therapy. We have reviewed research in Japan related to the following: (1) the physiological effects of nature therapy, including those of forests, urban green space, plants, and wooden material and (2) the analyses of individual differences that arise therein. The search was conducted in the PubMed database using various keywords. We applied our inclusion/exclusion criteria and reviewed 52 articles. Scientific data assessing physiological indicators, such as brain activity, autonomic nervous activity, endocrine activity, and immune activity, are accumulating from field and laboratory experiments. We believe that nature therapy will play an increasingly important role in preventive medicine in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2016. "Physiological Effects of Nature Therapy: A Review of the Research in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:13:y:2016:i:8:p:781-:d:75262
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/8/781/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/8/781/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Elucidation of a Physiological Adjustment Effect in a Forest Environment: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-9, April.
    2. Michel Brunet & Franck Guy & David Pilbeam & Hassane Taisso Mackaye & Andossa Likius & Djimdoumalbaye Ahounta & Alain Beauvilain & Cécile Blondel & Hervé Bocherens & Jean-Renaud Boisserie & Louis De B, 2002. "A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad, Central Africa," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6894), pages 145-151, July.
    3. Hiroko Ochiai & Harumi Ikei & Chorong Song & Maiko Kobayashi & Takashi Miura & Takahide Kagawa & Qing Li & Shigeyoshi Kumeda & Michiko Imai & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of a Forest Therapy Program on Middle-Aged Females," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Miho Igarashi & Mariko Aga & Harumi Ikei & Takafumi Namekawa & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Physiological and Psychological Effects on High School Students of Viewing Real and Artificial Pansies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Miho Igarashi & Michiko Takagaki & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of a Walk in Urban Parks in Fall," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-13, November.
    6. Michel Brunet & Franck Guy & David Pilbeam & Hassane Taisso Mackaye & Andossa Likius & Djimdoumalbaye Ahounta & Alain Beauvilain & Cécile Blondel & Hervé Bocherens & Jean-Renaud Boisserie & Louis De B, 2002. "Erratum: A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad, Central Africa," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6899), pages 801-801, August.
    7. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Maiko Kobayashi & Takashi Miura & Masao Taue & Takahide Kagawa & Qing Li & Shigeyoshi Kumeda & Michiko Imai & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Effect of Forest Walking on Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Middle-Aged Hypertensive Individuals: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-13, March.
    8. Miho Igarashi & Masayuki Miwa & Harumi Ikei & Chorong Song & Michiko Takagaki & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of Viewing a Kiwifruit ( Actinidia deliciosa ‘Hayward’) Orchard Landscape in Summer in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-12, June.
    9. Hiroko Ochiai & Harumi Ikei & Chorong Song & Maiko Kobayashi & Ako Takamatsu & Takashi Miura & Takahide Kagawa & Qing Li & Shigeyoshi Kumeda & Michiko Imai & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of Forest Therapy on Middle-Aged Males with High-Normal Blood Pressure," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-11, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chia-Pin Yu & Chia-Min Lin & Ming-Jer Tsai & Yu-Chieh Tsai & Chun-Yu Chen, 2017. "Effects of Short Forest Bathing Program on Autonomic Nervous System Activity and Mood States in Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Margaret M. Hansen & Reo Jones & Kirsten Tocchini, 2017. "Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-48, July.
    3. Hyunju Jo & Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Seiya Enomoto & Hiromitsu Kobayashi & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2019. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of Forest and Urban Sounds Using High-Resolution Sound Sources," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-13, July.
    4. Hyunju Jo & Chorong Song & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2019. "Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-23, November.
    5. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Takahide Kagawa & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2019. "Effects of Walking in a Forest on Young Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-12, January.
    6. Harumi Ikei & Chorong Song & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2018. "Physiological Effects of Touching the Wood of Hinoki Cypress ( Chamaecyparis obtusa ) with the Soles of the Feet," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-14, September.
    7. Yuqian Wang & Mingyan Jiang & Yinshu Huang & Zhiyi Sheng & Xiao Huang & Wei Lin & Qibing Chen & Xi Li & Zhenghua Luo & Bingyang Lv, 2020. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of Watching Videos of Different Durations Showing Urban Bamboo Forests with Varied Structures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-18, May.
    8. Agnes Peterfalvi & Matyas Meggyes & Lilla Makszin & Nelli Farkas & Eva Miko & Attila Miseta & Laszlo Szereday, 2021. "Forest Bathing Always Makes Sense: Blood Pressure-Lowering and Immune System-Balancing Effects in Late Spring and Winter in Central Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-19, February.
    9. Albert Bach Pagès & Josep Peñuelas & Jana Clarà & Joan Llusià & Ferran Campillo i López & Roser Maneja, 2020. "How Should Forests Be Characterized in Regard to Human Health? Evidence from Existing Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Bum-Jin Park & Juyoung Lee & Takahide Kagawa & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2018. "Psychological Benefits of Walking through Forest Areas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Hiroko Ochiai & Harumi Ikei & Chorong Song & Maiko Kobayashi & Takashi Miura & Takahide Kagawa & Qing Li & Shigeyoshi Kumeda & Michiko Imai & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Physiological and Psychological Effects of a Forest Therapy Program on Middle-Aged Females," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Hiroko Ochiai & Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Michiko Imai & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2017. "Effects of Visual Stimulation with Bonsai Trees on Adult Male Patients with Spinal Cord Injury," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-10, September.
    13. Chia-Pin Yu & Heng-Ting Chen & Pei-Hua Chao & Jie Yin & Ming-Jer Tsai, 2021. "The Role of Social Context in Physiological and Psychological Restoration in a Forest: Case Study of a Guided Forest Therapy Program in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-17, September.
    14. Dannie Fu & Natalia Incio Serra & Hubert Mansion & Emilia Tamko Mansion & Stefanie Blain-Moraes, 2022. "Assessing the Effects of Nature on Physiological States Using Wearable Technologies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-16, January.
    15. Liwen Li & Klaus W. Lange, 2023. "Assessing the Relationship between Urban Blue-Green Infrastructure and Stress Resilience in Real Settings: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-28, June.
    16. Kheng Siang Ted Ng & Angelia Sia & Maxel K. W. Ng & Crystal T. Y. Tan & Hui Yu Chan & Chay Hoon Tan & Iris Rawtaer & Lei Feng & Rathi Mahendran & Anis Larbi & Ee Heok Kua & Roger C. M. Ho, 2018. "Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Asian Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, August.
    17. Sus Sola Corazon & Ulrik Sidenius & Dorthe Varning Poulsen & Marie Christoffersen Gramkow & Ulrika Karlsson Stigsdotter, 2019. "Psycho-Physiological Stress Recovery in Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of the Past Eight Years of Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-21, May.
    18. Hyeyun Kim & Yong Won Lee & Hyo Jin Ju & Bong Jin Jang & Yeong In Kim, 2019. "An Exploratory Study on the Effects of Forest Therapy on Sleep Quality in Patients with Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-7, July.
    19. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2018. "Physiological Effects of Visual Stimulation with Forest Imagery," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-11, January.
    20. Ernest Bielinis & Jenni Simkin & Pasi Puttonen & Liisa Tyrväinen, 2020. "Effect of Viewing Video Representation of the Urban Environment and Forest Environment on Mood and Level of Procrastination," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-23, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:13:y:2016:i:8:p:781-:d:75262. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.