Value Village ／ Health
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"10,000 steps a day" is probably the world's best-known health target, and more and more people in every country are asking where it came from. The answer is Japan. Japan's national physical-activity guidance was revised in 2024 and now gives concrete step-count benchmarks. Here is what it says.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark for adults | 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day (about 8,000 steps or more) | Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion 2023 |
| Benchmark for older people | 40 minutes or more a day (about 6,000 steps or more) | Same |
| Average steps in Japan (men aged 20–64) | About 6,600 | National Health and Nutrition Survey (2023) |
| Average steps in Japan (women aged 20–64) | About 5,700 | Same |
| Health Japan 21 (third term) target | Aged 20–64: 8,000 steps; aged 65 and over: 6,000 steps | MHLW |
"10,000 steps" is generally traced to the product name of a pedometer launched in 1965 (the *Manpo-kei*, literally "10,000-step meter"). It was never set as a medical threshold.
[Verify] Check the Guide 2023 benchmarks and the latest year's average step counts in the National Health and Nutrition Survey. The origin of "10,000 steps" is the received account given in several explanatory articles.
The basic principle of the Guide 2023 is "move a little more than you do now". It cites research suggesting that even 2,000 extra steps brings health benefits.
The guide also recommends strength training 2–3 times a week. Step count is one indicator of physical activity, not the whole of it.
The current thinking is that short bursts of under 10 minutes count towards the total. Steps from commuting, shopping and housework are included.
The guide lists reducing sitting time as a separate item in its own right. Habits such as standing up once every 30 minutes have a value of their own, apart from steps.
The Guide 2023 recommends that older people do balance exercises in addition to walking. Loss of muscle from not moving is generally described as raising the risk of falls more. If you have an existing condition, ask your doctor.
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https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10904750/001171393.pdf
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_47433.html
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/kenkou/kenkounippon21_00006.html
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
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