Although the health benefits of urban parks have gained significant attention, the effects of viewing park landscape on older adult residents have not commanded much research. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of viewing cherry blossoms in spring and fresh greenery in early summer at urban parks. The experiments were conducted in two viewing spots in the same park in Japan during different seasons, and included 12 participants in both spring (mean age, 66.4 ± 10.5 years) and summer (mean age, 65.75 ± 10.1 years). Participants sat and viewed an urban park and city landscape for 11–15 min. Blood pressure was measured before and after the seated viewing while heart rate was measured continuously. Then, they evaluated the psychological responses using the Profile of Mood States and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Viewing cherry blossoms and fresh greenery in urban parks led to lower blood pressure in spring and early summer than viewing city areas in spring and early summer. Moreover, the score of vigor–activity was significantly higher; tension–anxiety was significantly lower in spring; and the state-anxiety level was significantly lower in early summer. The results of this study suggest that viewing urban parks results in physiological and psychological relaxation.

The benefits of park therapy have been investigated in young adults, but rarely for middle-aged and older adults. This study evaluates the physiological and psychological effects of walking in urban parks and park therapy images in winter, spring, and early summer. The experiments were implemented in two walking courses in the urban park in Japan and involved 12 middle-aged and older adults. Participants walked on walking courses in an urban park and city street for 11–15 min. Their heart rate and blood pressure were evaluated to determine physiological responses. The Profile of Mood States (POMS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Landscape Image Sketching Technique (LIST) were used to determine psychological responses and spatial conditions. Walking in an urban park exhibited lower heart rates and blood pressure as compared to walking in the city. It was congruent with lowered negative moods, total mood disturbance (TMD) scores, and state anxiety, while the higher positive mood was observed in the urban parks as compared to the city. Images in winter displayed trees, relaxation, and comfort; in spring, water, activity, people, surrounding place, and recreational space; and in early summer, greenery, lawn, and broadness. In conclusion, walking in urban parks leads to physiological, psychological relaxation, and varied landscape appreciation.

Due to the acceleration of urbanization, many green spaces are facing the fate of abandonment, especially the urban and suburban green space. In Japan, these suburban green spaces can also be used as a Satoyama. Satoyama is a multi-purpose ecosystem, including some secondary forests, farmlands, lakes, marshes, and so on. They are affected by human beings and benefited each other. It is proof of harmonious coexistence that human beings have been groping for in nature since ancient times. This study collected the records of the Satoyama activity group in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan from 2008 to 2019, and used KHCoder3 to mine the characters. The purpose of this study was to identify that it is found that people use suburban green space in variety nowadays through the activities of volunteers in Satoyama. From the records, the green space has a series of changing stages after becoming Satoyama, in which 2008-2011 is the first stage, and 2016-2019 is the other stage, but 2012, 2014, and 2015 were grouped separately. In addition to the daily maintenance of the forest, there were also some special words that can be seen that people attach great importance to the publicity of Satoyama as a place for Children’s environmental education. For the future, Satoyama activities can afford good references to urban green space multi-function, maintain ecological balance, and keeping sustainable development.

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Many scholars have focused on Satoyama, which is characterized by mountains or villages away from the urban spaces. Our objective is to verify its psychophysiological effects on people performing usual Satoyama activities in ignored, small urban green spaces to help people find ways to stay healthy in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) society. In this study, 12 older adult volunteers from the “Forest around the Mountains” Nonprofit Organization and 12 young people from the university were invited as study subjects. They were asked to observe nature for 10 min and work for 30 min in the small green space “Forest around the Mountains”. The Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventor (STAI) were used as psychological scales to detect their psychological restoration and blood pressure before and after the Satoyama activity. Their heart rate during the activity was used as the physiological indicator. The study showed that, as Satoyama volunteers, the older adults group had significant restorative psychophysiological effects during this experiment compared to the younger group; their systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped significantly after Satoyama activities, On the other hand, the young group have been in the normotensive range before or after Satoyama activities The psychological indicators such as Anger-hostility, Confusion-bewilderment, and Tension-anxiety were significantly lower in the younger group but were still significantly higher than the indicators of the older adults. In general, this study found that Satoyama activities benefited young and older participants, especially older adults with high blood pressure. Satoyama activities in small urban green spaces are thus necessary and worth promoting in the post-COVID-19 era.