by MV&R
Where it all started….
This is the birth place of the practice of Shinrin Yoku, and that’s why it was number one on my list. I contacted the Agematsu Town Tourism Association and Kazue Matsubara arranged everything for me. She was also the interpreter during the private Shinrin Yoku session, because the Forest Therapist did not speak English. I received the royal treatment.
They picked me up at the train station and drove me to the forest which is about a 20-minute drive.
As we went higher and higher in elevation, we started to notice a more and more colorful panorama on the surrounding forest.
The main base has a building where the clinic operates, a souvenir shop and seminar room building and another with a restaurant. They have a full-time doctor on site who performs a check-up before and after the walks. This recreational forest has 8 different courses, one more beautiful than the next. They all have different effort levels, one is fully paved or wood-boarded so it can be done on a wheelchair.
My first close contact with a Hinoki Cypress. This area called Kiso is famous for the Hinoki tree which is highly regarded as one of the most important trees of Japan.
The “big five” tree species of Kiso: Hinoki, Sawara, Nezuko, Asunaro and Koyamaki.
A beautiful day, I wanted to do more trails on my own after the “VIP Shinrin Yoku session” but the weather turned, and the day was cut short. Next time!