Shinrin-yoku, Accidentally
There’s an interesting story from my trip to Ghibli Park in Nagoya, Japan. It’s a moment that woke me up to another kind of feeling. In a poetic way — in Japan, it’s called Shinrin-yoku.
It was several months ago when I went on a Japan trip with my friends. We chose Ghibli Park as one of our destinations for the trip. We got the afternoon shift to enter, and while we were waiting in line, we explored another area of the park. It’s Dondoko Forest.
Forget about me who was still mesmerized by the view and the vibes at Ghibli Park — the place was full of green, the temperature was warm enough in the autumn season, my eyes were full of tears watching the Ghibli characters at almost every corner, and as a Ghibli fan, I bet you will agree with me that this place is such a playground for us.
Dondoko Forest is a vast area. We walked to every corner, and we always came across some kind of trees. Most of the areas are designed to be as original as possible — full of stones, with no bridge or paved walkway — just like what we imagine a forest to be. Uphill and downhill paths are also part of this section. And what excited me the most was the endless scenes of Komorebi (木漏れ日), the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees.
And after a thousand steps, I started to wonder.
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Wait, so it’s basically a pure forest area with some ornaments of Ghibli’s signature?
One of my friends told me that before Ghibli Park was built, Hayao Miyazaki gave his blessing through his principals. He wanted the park to not impose itself on the existing site, but rather blend with it. The attractions would not compete with the natural surroundings, ensuring the space remained connected to the forest-covered areas.
The location was specifically chosen because Nagakute City is a rural area with abundant greenery, and the fact that it is surrounded by lush nature was one of the reasons Ghibli Park was built there. Many of Studio Ghibli’s works are themed around harmony and coexistence with nature, so the location was ideal for reflecting that worldview.
Studio Ghibli describes Ghibli Park as “created in consultation with the forest” — a place where visitors can walk through the forest on their own feet, feel the air and wind, and discover secrets. A good portion of the park is actually forested with no attractions at all, just hiking trails and a Japanese garden.
I have always found myself enjoying time with nature and everything within it. Watching trees gives me the strength to feel more grateful about life — I might be overclaiming, but it is what it is.
Since this experience is so meaningful to me, I started to search for a label for it. I found the term Biophilia, which means humans have an innate emotional connection to nature. But I also found that Japan has another term called Shinrin-yoku — or Forest Bathing — which describes the practice of simply being present among trees for wellbeing. The Japanese actually have scientific research behind it showing how it lowers stress and makes people feel safe.
Despite the fact that my happiness was already overflowing during the Ghibli Park trip, God also gave me another kind of happiness that nourished my spiritual side. Nothing feels better than feeling safe and sound in nature.
I realize that there are a lot of terms that we can use to romanticize life. Just recently I found one, and I am delighted to find more in the future.
