This study applied the framework of Kaplan and Kaplan’s (1989) Attention Restoration Theory (ART) to bonfire imagery and examined its calming effects and restorative properties through a video-viewing experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups—bonfire video (bonfire group), forest video (forest group), or conference-room video (control group)—and the experiment was conducted online. A two-way ANOVA with time and group using the General Affect Scale and the Japanese version of the Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS-J) showed that the bonfire and forest groups exhibited significantly greater calmness than the conference-room group. Furthermore, a one-way ANOVA using the Japanese version of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) to evaluate restorative properties indicated that, on the PRS subscales of Being Away, Fascination, Scope, Compatibility, and Preference, both the bonfire and forest groups scored significantly higher than the conference-room group. These results demonstrate that bonfire videos possess restorative properties comparable to those of forest videos. Notably, on the Compatibility and Preference subscales, the bonfire video scored significantly higher than the forest video, indicating that bonfire imagery is perceived as more compatible and better aligned with participants’ preferences.

Examined whether interaction with a variety of others would lead to the development of a sense of community, which in turn would contribute to the resilience in elementary and junior high school students. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 632 children and students (Tokyo: n=225, Nagoya: n=350, Tarama Island, Okinawa: n=57) regarding the diversity of interpersonal relationships, sense of community based on Adler’s individual psychology, and resilience. The results showed that Tokyo had the lowest scores for the experience of interacting with others and interacting with neighbors, while Tarama had the highest scores. Interaction with neighbors decreased dramatically in Tokyo and Nagoya as the school grade increased. Optimism revealed regional differences, with Tokyo having lower scores and Tarama having higher scores. Multiple group structural equation modeling revealed that the hypothesis described above was mostly plausible in Tokyo and Nagoya, but was limited for Tarama. The results confirmed that regional characteristics need to be taken into account in order to understand psychological development.