Experiential benefits of japanese outdoor recreationists

Recreation and leisure pursuits have become an important part of the lifestyle for many Japanese. Several critiques of Japanese society have indicated a growing individualism concomitant with a leisure-orientation. Outdoor recreation activity provides opportunities to fulfill individual needs and obtain experiential benefits. The empirical portion of this paper translates a portion of the Recreation Experience Preference (REP) scales and applies the translated scales to two populations of outdoor recreationists in Japan: day-hikers and university students enrolled in sports or recreation classes. Results indicated that each of the translated scales are associated with strong reliability, and that the sampled Japanese rated nature experience lippanteki na shizen taiken, tranquility I heion heisei, and physical rest/ shintaiteki kyuyo as being the most important experiential benefits associated with outdoor recreation. The least important experiential benefits reported by both samples were social recognition I shakaiteki shonin, escape I tohi, and independance/dokuritsu.