Abstract
This study was conducted for the purpose of understanding the amount of physical activity performed by people during the Edo period. This report used the example of the priest Hakuin and measured the distances he walked between temples on training and pilgrimage. To measure the distances, the author of this report needed to faithfully keep track of the names and locations of the temples the priest Hakuin visited. Hakuin visited a total of 137 temples and seven private residences. He walked 500 kilometers or more a year at the ages of 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 66, 67 and 74. If one walks a distance of four kilometers three times a week, one will end up walking 576 kilometers over the course of a year. The annual distance walked by the priest Hakuin is roughly the same as the annual distance walked when one walks a distance of four kilometers three times a week. This level of physical activity can be performed by people today. Given the above, the author proposes the slogan, “Let’s walk like the priest Hakuin.”
