Japan unplugged

In a small forest on the outskirts of Tokyo, a woman with sleek black glasses is examining the ground. Eventually, she finds the perfect spot to spend the next few hours staring at a canopy thick with bamboo trees, their colours plucked from the bright green end of the colour wheel.

This is shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, the increasingly popular Japanese practice of slowing down and fully immersing oneself in nature.

“The goal isn’t to head deep into the wilderness or count steps,” says our G Adventures guide, Mack Moriya.

“It’s about being in the presence of trees, of appreciating what’s around