The Past, Present, and Future Role of the Natural World in Mental Wellbeing in Japan

Declines in water and rice quality. Expansions in the geographical distributions of crop pests. Greater risk of drought. These are only a few of the ways that climate change will disrupt life in Japan. While this list sounds terrible enough, it does not include what is perhaps the gravest consequence: the serious degradation of the mental health of the country’s residents.

How will climate change wreak this damage? 

Nature. Air, plants, water, and animals will be instruments of destruction in its hands, by which it will orchestrate extreme weather events and other ruinous work.

It wasn’t always this way.

In times past, nature was a boon to mental wellbeing. Present in ancient Japanese tradition is a “respect and reverence for the natural world” and a belief in the physical power of the “interactions with the landscape that occur as a result” (Beil, 2019). One such example is Shugendō, a syncretic religion popular in Japan during the 7th century; adherents consider the natural world to have a psychologically healing essence, and employ ritualistic connection with the natural world to help “strip away excess, to understand themselves better” (Plevin, 2018). Ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers, is another. A practice dating back to the sixth century, ikebana uses blossoms, flora, and greenery to elicit positive feelings and emotions in viewers and form a mentally beneficial “personal and direct relationship with nature” (Plevin, 2018).

The utilisation of the natural world to benefit the human psyche has continued into the present, with the aforementioned customs serving as the basis for the modern practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. More than a simple stroll through the woods, forest bathing entails “immersive nature walks” where one is “invited to slow down and rediscover the world around them” (Plevin, 2018). The ambience of the woods is said to “support and comfort [the] person” engaging in forest bathing,  lifting from the mind the weights of “the concerns and distractions of … life” (Beil, 2019).

The psychological benefits of these practices are not imagined, but supported by a large body of research. Morita et al. (2007), in studying the effects of shinrin-yoku, found that it is “advantageous with respect to … experiencing chronic stress” as an effective stress reduction method. There is also the promotion of positive mood states; researchers found the nature-based practices to be “positively associated with vitality, positive affect and life satisfaction” as well as a sense of “meaning and purpose in life” (Mantler & Logan, 2015; Passmore & Howell, 2014). Additional observed benefits include enhanced student and worker performance through the natural scenery viewed while engaging in forest bathing, improved memory and attention, and a decrease of symptoms in those diagnosed with PTSD (Beil, 2019). 

However, with the advent of climate change, this beneficial function is under the threat of reversal. 

As the lower atmosphere grows more moist and warm, greater energy will be available for extreme weather conditions. In Japan, these will primarily appear as floods, droughts, and heavy downpours. The trees, soil, and other natural elements that have been promoting mental wellbeing among the Japanese for centuries will be weaponized by these catastrophes to degrade the peoples’ psyches. 

Extreme weather events cause “post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and general anxiety” as well as feelings of powerlessness and cynicism that can lead to “substance abuse, family issues, and … intergroup conflict” (Steinberg & Sprigg, 2016; Cianconi et al., 2020). This damage dealt to the psyche is long-lasting, with symptoms persisting for years after the event. These weather catastrophes have the potential to aggravate existing mental health problems in vulnerable communities and even increase psychological issues, meaning that the estimated 5 million Japanese  that live with mental health issues will face a severe decline in their psychological condition. 

These consequences come as no surprise considering the devastation these extreme weather events cause. Drought increases inequities in water distribution, leading to interruptions in school attendance among young children and the destruction of farmers’ livelihood. Flooding destroys residential and commercial properties, ripping apart the social fabric of communities as local populations are forced to relocate to higher ground. Changing environmental conditions increase the incidence of various physical maladies, such as respiratory and cardiovascular ailments, heat-related illnesses, and infections such as Japanese encephalitis. 

Included in this  list, but often ignored,  the cultural conflict that will occur due to transregional human displacement. In Japan, a number of areas, including large swaths of Osaka and Tokyo, are predicted to go underwater. It is estimated that the submersion, a consequence of storms and coastal flooding, will displace more than 6 million persons, the majority of whom will have to resettle in mainland Asia. Having to “​​coexist with new, unfamiliar, and sometimes hostile neighbors” who view them as “‘a threat to their culture … and as competitors'” and experiencing cultural and racial discrimination as a consequence of this migration will leave Japanese “climate refugees” vulnerable to adverse mental health effects on par with those resulting from physical destruction (Steinberg & Sprigg, 2016; Auerbach & Lemery, 2017).

The best course of action in mitigating the mental health impacts associated with climate change is tackling the root of the problem. Japan has and continues to contribute to efforts to mitigate climate change and the associated crises. The country has a proven track record in green innovation, from renewable power production to hybrid fuel-efficient cars, and has “resolute determination to coordinate and lead the innovation of technological approaches to reduce global warming” (Odeyemi & Sekiyama, 2022). Japan also has ambitious plans to reduce emissions by 26% from 2013 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, milestones that the country is on track to meet.

Despite  Japan’s continued efforts, it is not possible for one country to single-handedly take on climate change. All countries, including Japan, must become more aggressive in the fight against climate change and reaching compatibility with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rises to under 1.5 ℃. Until then, Japan must brace for impact and work to manage the imminent climate change-related physical and consequent psychological impacts. Governments and local communities must cooperate to prepare comprehensive long-term action plans to promote extreme weather event preparedness and mitigation through the establishment of early warning systems, continuous environment monitoring, and community preparation initiatives. 

One means of achieving this is implementation of World Health Organization guidelines on managing post-disaster mental health challenges. The recommendations outlined two phases of mental health care following natural disasters: acute emergency and reconsolidation. In the acute emergency phase, emphasis is placed on responding to urgent psychiatric cases and “organizing outreach and non-intrusive emotional support”. Following this is the reconsolidation phase, which is concerned with “longer-term social and psychological interventions”, such as training primary care workers with mental skills in order to conduct effective patient follow-up (Steinberg & Sprigg, 2016). 

Work to be done also comprises helping individuals develop proper coping mechanisms to manage trauma symptoms, efforts that are predicated on mental health professionals becoming future-oriented and ready to respond to the psychiatric challenges that will arise after climate change-related extreme weather events, after nature turns from a friend to a foe.

Bibliography

Beil. (2019, April 19). Forest Bathing: Immersion in the Healing Power of Nature. Traditional Roots Institute. https://traditionalroots.org/forest-bathing/

Cianconi, P., Betrò, S., & Janiri, L. (2020). The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health: A Systematic Descriptive Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074

Lemery, J., & Auerbach, P. S. (2017). Enviromedics: The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Mantler, A., & Logan, A. C. (2015). Natural environments and mental health. Advances in Integrative Medicine, 2(1), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2015.03.002

Morita, E., Fukuda, S., Nagano, J., Hamajima, N., Yamamoto, H., Iwai, Y., Nakashima, T., Ohira, H., & Shirakawa, T. (2007). Psychological effects of forest environments on healthy adults: Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing, walking) as a possible method of stress reduction. Public Health, 121(1), 54–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2006.05.024

Odeyemi, C., & Sekiyama, T. (2022). A Review of Climate Security Discussions in Japan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8253. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148253

Passmore, H.-A., & Howell, A. J. (2014). Nature Involvement Increases Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being: A Two-Week Experimental Study. Ecopsychology. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2014.0023

Plevin. (2018, season-01). From Haiku to Shinrin-Yoku: A Brief History of Forest Bathing. Forest History Today. https://foresthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/3-Plevin_Forest_Bathing.pdf

Steinberg, S. L., & Sprigg, W. A. (2016). Extreme Weather, Health, and Communities. In Extreme weather and society. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30626-1