Kanji for 10,000: Origin of the Pedometer Symbol
Chapter 1

The science of interval walking

Chapter 2

The samurai stride of Namba Aruki

Chapter 3

The myth of the 10,000 steps

Chapter 4

Shinrin-yoku and mindful walking

YOUR GOAL

Master of The Japanese walking method

Ch 3 · The myth of the 10,000 steps
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Manpo Buddy
    *   *Idea 4 (Playful/Inviting/Toy-like
BETA

diego Discover Manpo Buddy, a playful and inviting toy-like game based on the Japanese walking method and the myth of the 10,000 steps.

Aug 3

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diego The 10,000 Steps Myth

Ten thousand steps, ten thousand steps, Born from a clever ad!

Aug 3

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diego What modern medical science says about steps

Aug 3

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The walking stick figure in the kanji

diego Discover the Japanese walking method and how it relates to the walking stick figure found in kanji with this educational infographic.

Aug 3

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How the Manpo-kei pedometer was born

diego Discover the origin of the Manpo-kei pedometer and how this traditional Japanese walking method influenced modern step counting.

Aug 3

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Fun Fact

The walking symbol: The Japanese kanji for 10,000 is 万, which was used to market the first pedometer because it looks like a person walking.

Aug 3

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Glossary
pedometer (noun)
An instrument for estimating the distance traveled on foot by recording the number of steps taken. In 1965, a Japanese company marketed a pedometer called the Manpo-kei, initiating the ten-thousand-step daily goal.

Aug 3

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Gossip

Is step-tracking worth it?

Aug 3

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Quiz

What was the minimum step count that Japanese walking clubs popularized in the 1960s?

Aug 3

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Quiz

Which Japanese company manufactured and released the original Manpo-kei pedometer?

Aug 3

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Quiz

In what year was the world's first popular consumer pedometer, the Manpo-kei, released in Japan?

Aug 3

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Quiz

Why does the Japanese kanji character for 10,000 (万) fit the marketing of a pedometer?

Aug 3

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Quiz

Around which major global sporting event was the Japanese fitness boom of the mid-1960s centered?

Aug 3

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Quiz

Which university conducted the 2019 study showing that 4,400 daily steps significantly lowered mortality in older women?

Aug 3

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Quiz

What does the Japanese word 'Manpo-kei' literally translate to in English?

Aug 3

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Quiz

According to a 2019 Harvard study, at what approximate step count do the longevity benefits of walking level off?

Aug 3