One More Reason to Love Japanese Culture: The Expression “Forest Bathing.”

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Perhaps not in "the heart of the city", by which you presumably mean the downtown core. However, we've got several excellent parks within very close proximity: Carkeek, the Arboretum, Lincoln, Discovery, and Seward parks, which can easily fulfill the same function for most people.

COMTE on August 12, 2010 at 9:29 AM

Is it wrong that the first thing I thought of was this one time I went camping when I was like 15-16, and it was raining buckets one day after having been nasty stinky sweaty for several, so I just showered with a bar of soap right in the rain?

One of the best showers I ever had.

Joe Szilagyi on August 12, 2010 at 9:31 AM

Never been to the Arboretum, Charles? I know it's not exactly 'Downtown', but a 20 min, one bus ride from the core isn't too bad.

Enigma on August 12, 2010 at 9:32 AM

Remember when we voted down The Commons? Me too. Sad.

I frequently "forest bathe" in Seward Park. I plan on using the phrase, "I'm going to take a forest bath" more frequently.

nullbull on August 12, 2010 at 9:33 AM

Wake up and smell the coffee. There are forested parts all over Seattle, many of which are five to ten minutes from your place of employment. A desire for instant gratification is perhaps a symptom of a lack of connection with nature. Put down the Krapotkin and get outside for a change.

Reg on August 12, 2010 at 9:37 AM

#3 - is it true I could get laid if I went to the Arboretum? Never been

brokn2pieces on August 12, 2010 at 9:38 AM

When will light rail deliver us to a forest? After all, if the people who hate cars so much get their way, nobody but the rich will ever get to see a forest.

Vince on August 12, 2010 at 9:40 AM

Interlaken Park! It's real rustic and untamed as it were.

Westlake, son! on August 12, 2010 at 9:42 AM

Well at least now we know what Mudede's plans are for retirement.

nseattlite on August 12, 2010 at 9:45 AM

forest bathing. really?

hiking

boxcar on August 12, 2010 at 9:52 AM

seward park is the best..and yes you can forest bathe and get laid at the arboretum..( if my fat ass can do it anybody can ) interlaken is great on 'shrooms'. discovery park is great for the contrast of sky and meadow... charles.. the bus will take you to vashon even... vashon.. forest, meadow, trees and beach.. after a metro bus ride.. ..
and for the sake of urban re-entry you can get off the ferry and it's a five minute ride to white center which makes the decompression easier
i fuckin love this city !

reverend dr dj riz on August 12, 2010 at 9:55 AM

@6 Don't know, never tried. I think the Arboretum is more for straight couples than anonymous hook-ups.
I've heard about Volunteer Park being good for that. Once when I was walking through the park around 10pm on a March night I was given furtive looks by someone standing next to a crop of bushes. I didn't actually see anything, but there was rustling behind him. I smiled and walked on.

Enigma on August 12, 2010 at 9:56 AM

@4, yeah, the Commons totally would have been a forest with creeks. Totally.

gloomy gus on August 12, 2010 at 10:04 AM

Like almost everyone else at The Stranger, Charles is unaware of anything that isn't within walking distance of his home or The Stranger offices. A few of them do ride their bikes and/or take short bus trips, but for the most part, they live in a much smaller city than the rest of us. It's kind of sad, really.

schmacky on August 12, 2010 at 10:22 AM

I love "...furtive looks..."

Keekee on August 12, 2010 at 10:27 AM

It may not forest bathing exactly, but Waterfall Park in Pioneer Square is a tiny little jewel. I was there just yesterday, and you could smell the green.

invictus on August 12, 2010 at 10:43 AM

@16 That smell was the chlorine they add to the water to clean out the bum piss.

yolfer on August 12, 2010 at 11:23 AM

How white of you Charles: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/…

thecatnextdoor on August 12, 2010 at 12:38 PM

Charles, I'm going up to Spray Park on Mt. Rainier (you know it as Tahoma) on Sunday if you want to come. We're going to forest bathe like no Japanese person has ever forest bathed. it will be intense, and snowfields will be crossed.

Not for nothing did Japanese immigrants call it "The Holy Mountain".

Max Solomon on August 12, 2010 at 12:45 PM

i live next to volunteer park. i am usually in agreement with your posts, charles, but here you are quite wrong.

34x42 on August 12, 2010 at 12:49 PM

@11: It's been three years since I left Seattle, and you make me positively weep with homesickness. I'd give anything for a long bike ride on Vashon followed by a plateful of pupusas from the Salvadoran Bakery on Roxbury.

TVDinner on August 12, 2010 at 1:21 PM

Has Charles forgotten the Topography of Terror article he himself wrote? I'm pretty sure "not being murdered" is better than "tree bathing" any day.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Conte…

wombatistan on August 12, 2010 at 4:37 PM

Tashkent Park!

Pmasp on August 12, 2010 at 11:15 PM

No trees in Seattle? Seattle?? Bwahahahahaha! Jackass...

on August 15, 2010 at 11:45 PM

One More Reason to Love Japanese Culture: The Expression “Forest Bathing.”

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