A Hokkaido photography workshop means exploring off the beaten path locations and seeing amazing wildlife, but it’s also an opportunity to indulge in 森林浴, shinrin yoku, or forest bathing. Many Academia institutes place the founding of forest bathing in the 1980s, but as an amateur historian who has extensively studied Japanese history, sociology, I can tell you that the name ‘forest therapy’ may be a modern coinage, but the practice has been around for as long as there have been forests, so essentially the entirety of modern society as we know it. So exactly is Shinrin Yoku? It’s the practice of relaxing in nature and enjoying it with all your senses. Most often, people participating in forest therapy are not actively scouting for birds or other wildlife, and even though the goal of my Hokkaido photography workshop tours is once in a lifetime wildlife and landscape photography, my team and I do all the work introducing you to photo ops with the Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), White-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), Blakiston’s Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni), Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis), Ezo sika deer (Cervus nippon), and Hokkaido’s red foxes (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) among other species as well as Hokkaido’s minimalist landscapes, so you can focus on the health benefits of forest bathing between locations on the itinerary. After a refreshing walk in one of Hokkaido’s many forests, spotting and photographing, you will be stress-free with a memory card full of breathtaking images.
Naturalists all across Asia and other parts of the world have championed the healing properties of nature for years. An experiment conducted in 2016 focused on the benefit of forest bathing on lowering blood pressure among other positive health effects. There is endless scholarship on the topic, so if you’re curious about reading more, please do some research, but I’d be happy to share my own experiences and knowledge while we’re in the field for a Hokkaido photography workshop tour. Imagine the benefits of spending entire days in the high alpine regions while on a Hokkaido photo tour, not just seeing forests and nature but spotting and photographing the amazing wildlife within it. Japanese and international photographers alike happily spend hours in the forests returning refreshed from their hike while taking photos. I know that taking the perfect photograph takes time and preparation, yet all the time you spend preparing yourself for once in a lifetime photos is time well spent releasing stress. Many photographers only think of forests in their green, lustrous state, but Hokkaido holds approximately 25% of all of Japan’s woodlands, and although the leaves may have fallen before winter, the long trunk and strong branches of the trees have the same healing properties and are home to the Ezo red squirrel, the Ezo flying squirrel, Ezo sika deer, Hokkaido red foxes and dozens of other species that I spot and photograph every winter. Why not capture some of these remarkable landscapes, raptors, and wildlife while also replenishing your mind and body?