University of Tokyo Study Links Walkability and Employment to Daily Steps Across Japan

A University of Tokyo research team published a study on Saturday showing that residents in Japan’s most walkable municipalities recorded nearly twice as many daily steps as those in the least walkable areas. The findings appeared in an international medical journal. The team examined 2023 data from the Trima smartphone app, which automatically records steps during foot travel.

Researchers reviewed records from about 1.5 million users aged 20 to 64 living in 951 municipalities, each with at least 100 participants. Walkability was scored on a five-point scale that factored in population density and the variety of public, commercial, and other facilities. Municipalities with higher scores posted higher average step counts, particularly in urban zones.

Tokyo’s Toshima Ward recorded the highest daily average at 7,750 steps. Kobayashi city in Miyazaki Prefecture recorded the lowest at 4,026 steps. Municipalities in the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas generally ranked near the top, while lower counts appeared more often in eastern Hokkaido, northern Tohoku, and southern Kyushu.

Employed people walked more than those without jobs, with the difference largest in municipalities that scored five on the walkability scale. Masamitsu Kamada, associate professor of health education at the University of Tokyo’s graduate school, said measures should address both built environments and individuals’ socioeconomic backgrounds.