Abstract
This study investigated the degree of physical and mental recovery and improvement in sleep, happiness, and work motivation, as well as subsequent behavioral changes, after a two day and one night stay in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, December 4 and 5, 2021, among participants of a Shinrin-yoku health tour held in Inokashira-ku, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka, Japan. Twelve participants experienced activities such as E-biking, aroma water making, sunrise experience the sunrise on Mt. Fuji. On the evening of the first day, the participants attended a health seminar given by a medical doctor, where they learned about the concept of Optimum Health and the methodology to change their behavior. In the afternoon of the second day, participants reviewed both days and made plans for future behavior change. On the other hand, in order to measure the participants' physical and mental health before, during, and after their stay, a smartwatch was used for physiological indicators (heart rate, fluctuations in autonomic nervous system activity, and quantity and quality of sleep) and a smartphone was used for psychological indicators (mood, subjective restorativeness, subjective sleepiness, happiness, and work motivation). The results of the analysis showed that the participants' physical and mental health improved during their stay and after returning home compared to before their stay, and some indicators remained statistically significant effects for as long as two months after their return. From subsequent follow-up studies, it was inferred that the health seminars, photographs, and homemade souvenirs given during the tour seemed to contribute to the persistence of the physiological and psychological effects.
