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
Ch 3 · The myth of the 10,000 steps
diego Discover the origin of the Manpo-kei pedometer and how this traditional Japanese walking method influenced modern step counting.
Quiz
According to a 2019 Harvard study, at what approximate step count do the longevity benefits of walking level off?
Quiz
Around which major global sporting event was the Japanese fitness boom of the mid-1960s centered?
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.
diego Discover the Japanese walking method and how it relates to the walking stick figure found in kanji with this educational infographic.
Quiz
Why does the Japanese kanji character for 10,000 (万) fit the marketing of a pedometer?
Quiz
Which university conducted the 2019 study showing that 4,400 daily steps significantly lowered mortality in older women?
Quiz
In what year was the world's first popular consumer pedometer, the Manpo-kei, released in Japan?
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.
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.
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.