HINOKI Insights
Keep up to date with HINOKI and learn about various aspects of forest bathing and related Japanese concepts and philosophies.
初心 — Shoshin: The Beginner’s Mind
1 July 2026
/ two small children in a pine forest. The boy shows something to the girl In Japanese, shoshin (初心) is written with…
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Indigo
10 June 2026
Long before modern medicine, the people of Japan discovered something remarkable, that the indigo plant could do far more than…
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Spring Foraging
25 April 2026
Spring Greens of the Surrey Hills Each April, I step into the Surrey Hills with a quiet kind of gratitude.…
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Sakura and Bluebells
5 April 2026
Hanami (sakura viewing and picnicking) in Hiroshima Sakura season in Japan is always special, yet what makes it so meaningful…
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Pareidolia
16 March 2026
On a recent recce walk in the countryside around Crowhurst, I paused beside an old tree and suddenly noticed a…
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Wild Garlic Gyoza
15 February 2026
Fresh wild garlic leaves in a basket In early spring, wild garlic offers the same gentle sweetness and aromatic lift…
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Whispers of the Season
1 February 2026
As we step gently into the turning of another cycle, the forest offers quiet reassurance that life is already responding…
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Hawthorn Ketchup
29 January 2026
Hawthorn Berry Ketchup It's January hawthorn is still offering a gift from the season just passed. Many hedgerows are holding…
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Presence this Christmas
25 December 2025
Dear HINOKI friends, Step outside. Breathe. Notice the living world around you. Christmas Nature Colour Walk How to use your…
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Winter Solstice
21 December 2025
As we approach the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, we’re invited to pause. This moment marks a…
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Japanese Cuisine: Whispers of the Season
21 October 2025
In Japan, the seasons are more than weather, they’re a presence. You feel them in the air, in conversations, and…
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Japanese Tamagoyaki with Sauteed Mushrooms
9 October 2025
Tamagoyaki with scallions A simple, flavourful layered omelette with the rich taste of sautéed mushrooms and the umami of dashi,…
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A Taste of August: Bilberry Cake
22 August 2025
There’s nothing quite like a bilberry cake made with berries you’ve picked yourself. Smaller and darker than their blueberry cousins,…
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Ichigo Ichie: A Moment in Sri Lanka
9 August 2025
I’ve just returned from Sri Lanka, a beautiful, complex, and layered place, and I’m still sitting with a quiet moment…
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Listening to the Land, What the Microseasons Teach Us
16 July 2025
In ancient Japan, the year was once divided not only into spring, summer, autumn and winter — but into 72 microseasons,…
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Lavender Mocktails
23 June 2025
Ayame hanasaku - the 27th of the 72 Japanese micro-seasons A seasonal note on lavender fizz, botanical oxymels, and quiet…
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The Mighty Nettle
14 May 2025
Female nettle plant You can catch me purposely brushing my hands through stinging nettles on walks and runs around the…
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Kokedera Moss Inspired Nettle Cake
1 May 2025
Moss at Saihōji Temple in Kyoto One of the most memorable gardens I’ve ever visited is the moss garden at…
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Chocolate Nettle Seed Moon Bites
1 May 2025
Nettle Seeds Nettle Seed Moon BitesThese little chocolate bites are a favourite treat I often bring along to my forest…
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Haru no Tsukare: Spring Fatigue
1 April 2025
Have you noticed a shift in your body’s rhythm with the arrival of spring? We often speak of this season…
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Houjicha Latte and Chocolate in Brooklyn
1 January 2025
Happy new year! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. It was a somewhat quiet one for me, with one…
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Christmas Wreaths and Wild Tea
15 December 2024
The recent storm has been quite devastating to the trees in the woods I frequent. So many fallen branches. However,…
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Yugen at Sunrise
1 October 2024
Yugen is experiencing the world we live in, the mysterious sense of beauty in the universe, a Japanese concept deeply…
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Rosemary for Mental Clarity
1 July 2024
I am here in Tuscany, nourished by the Tuscan sun and culinary delights. I love the intensity and purity of…
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Accessible Forest Bathing
1 May 2024
Photo credit: www.rhs.org.uk Forest Bathing Garden by Muscular Dystrophy UK won Best Show Garden in this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.…
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Spring Tonic with Cleavers
1 April 2024
Cleavers, also known as sticky weed or goose grass, are starting to appear everywhere. They are a nuisance to gardeners,…
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Yutori: Living in Spaciousness
1 March 2024
I think back to the days when I rushed from one place to another, taking my daughters to various activities,…
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Monozukuri: The Spirit of Dedicated Craftsmanship
31 October 2023
The Japanese art, science and craft of making things. Nambu cast iron teapots with exquisite ceramic Kiyomizu Ware lids from…
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Fabulous Fractals
1 August 2023
Fractals, intricate and self-repeating patterns found abundantly in nature, have an amazing ability to evoke feelings of awe, tranquillity, and…
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Tea Culture in Japan
1 June 2023
On my recent visit to Japan last month with my mother, I noticed a twist on tea culture—the rise of…
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Shodo: Japanese Calligraphy
1 April 2023
A couple weeks ago, my eldest daughter and I had the most wonderful evening taking part in a shodo, Japanese…
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Black Stone Flower
1 February 2023
Spring foraging will soon arrive. In the spring, we have fungi, such as St Georges that starts to appear on,…
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Omotenashi
1 December 2022
Can you imagine spending a year to prepare for a 4-hour event for one person? Chakai, or tea ceremonies in…
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Mono No Aware
1 October 2022
'The bittersweet poignancy of things.' My graceful Japanese maple suddenly turns crimson almost overnight, erupting into a beautiful firework display.…
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Ichigo Ichie
1 August 2022
‘For this time only, and never again’ Having been born into a family with Japanese heritage and spent a lot…
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Ame
1 June 2022
Ame (pronounced ah-me): Japanese for Rain When you are caught in the rain next week (beginning of June), would it…
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Hanami
1 April 2022
Look around now and you will see many blossoms, from cherry and blackthorn to magnolia and forcythia. All of these…
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Kintsugi
1 March 2022
金継ぎ Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery, for example tea cups, pots and bowls, mending them with…
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Discovering Hair Ice
1 February 2022
The dull December skies brought a want of apricity, the warmth of the sun in winter. As we transitioned into…
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Pine Needle Tea
1 January 2022
As the temperature has dropped, I have introduced the tea tasting earlier in the forest bathing sessions so that we…
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Christmas Scents
1 December 2021
This time of year is full of lovely scents, from pine and cinnamon to frankincense and myrrh. But did you…
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Forest Bathing among the beautiful trees in the Hurtwood
30 October 2021
Lisa Duncan, who lives at Sutton Place at the bottom of Holmbury Hill, has launched Forest Bathing in the Hurtwood…
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