Feel the Moment with GotoForest! 2025 as Japan celebrates Greenery Day

GotoForest! is a nationwide event in Japan held each year on 4 May, Greenery Day. It aims to provide an easy and welcoming opportunity for people to connect with forests. Greenery Day is a Japanese national holiday dedicated to fostering familiarity with nature, expressing gratitude for its blessings, and nurturing a rich spirit.

Launched in 2021, GotoForest! will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year. The event was born during a period when the COVID-19 pandemic had restricted countless activities. Guided tours into forests were suspended, and many businesses faced uncertainty.

However, forests, with their open spaces and fresh air, soon emerged again as places of comfort and safety. People began to rediscover the natural beauty within their own local areas, realising that captivating forests could be found across Japan without the need for distant travel. Inspired by Nagisa Ono from Future With Forest, GotoForest! was created to encourage even those less familiar with nature to enjoy its presence by walking through the forests together on Greenery Day.

Participation has grown year by year. In 2021, 374 participants joined from 31 regions across the country. By 2022, numbers rose to 568, as participants embraced the theme “Clean & Green” with initiatives like forest clean-ups. In 2023, the focus shifted to “Connect,” highlighting the importance of strengthening bonds between participants and regions, attracting 501 people across 24 regions. In 2024, under the theme “Feelings,” 634 participants in 26 regions came together to reflect on their personal relationships with forests.

This year, the event will embrace the theme “Feel This Moment.” Participants are invited to experience the forest with all their senses: feeling the air, noticing the scents, listening to the sounds, and seeing the play of light through the trees. In immersing themselves in the present moment, they can relax deeply and rekindle a sense of gratitude towards nature. This experience serves as a reminder that humans are an integral part of the natural world, thriving through mutual support and connection.

On Greenery Day 2025, forests across Japan will become the setting for thousands to come together and feel the magic of the present moment. Event hosts are encouraged to foster a sense of collective creation among participants, strengthening the sense of community at the event. Building strong relationships across participating regions is a key element, as sharing a collective appreciation for forests helps strengthen the movement across the country.

GotoForest! invites everyone to walk into the forests, to be present, and to celebrate the moments that nature so generously offers.