The practice of forest bathing or Shinrin-yoku has been a part of Japanese culture for many years, and its health benefits have been recognized anecdotally for centuries. However, it was not until the 1980s that Japanese scientists and doctors began to study the effects of forest bathing in a systematic way.
One of the pioneers of forest bathing research was Dr. Qing Li, a professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo. Dr. Li was interested in the healing power of nature, and he began to explore the scientific basis for the traditional Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku. He hypothesized that spending time in a forest environment might have beneficial effects on the body and mind, and he set out to study this phenomenon in a rigorous way.
Dr. Li’s research involved a range of experiments and studies, including physiological measurements, psychological surveys, and laboratory tests. His early studies found that exposure to forest environments could reduce levels of stress hormones, lower blood pressure, and improve immune function. These findings were published in a series of scientific papers in the 1990s and 2000s, and they helped to establish the scientific basis for the practice of forest bathing.
Since then, many other Japanese scientists and doctors have conducted research on forest bathing, and the practice has gained widespread recognition as a tool for promoting health and well-being. Today, forest bathing is widely recommended as a form of preventive medicine in Japan, and it has become a popular practice around the world.