, a former Olympic Nordic-combined skier who became a lawmaker, partakes in Nordic walking with other participants during an event at Tokyo's Yoyogi Park in mid-November.
KYODO PHOTO
Passersby were perplexed, but what they were viewing was Nordic walking, possibly the next fitness craze in Japan, where many middle-aged people are worried about "metabolic syndrome" -- a buzzword this year to describe excess fat around the middle that can cause lifestyle-related diseases.
Nordic walking first began in Finland in the early 1930s as an off-season training method for cross-country skiers and then developed into a fitness exercise in 1997 with the introduction of specially designed poles by Finnish sports equipment manufacturer Exel Oyj.
Walking with poles increases energy consumption by an average of 20 percent and burns about 400 calories an hour, compared with 280 calories for normal walking, according to Exel.
The poles, which are more resilient than ski poles, encourage walkers to take longer steps and move faster, proponents say, adding they also help to lighten the load on joints, knees and other parts of the body.
"It's much more efficient for the upper part of the body," said Liisa Karvinen, a counselor at the Finnish Embassy in Tokyo, who is promoting the activity in Japan. "After one hour, you'll get totally sweaty. You can get your pulse high enough to burn calories.
"Just walking is a little bit boring," Karvinen said. "People want something new to make things more exciting."
Nordic walking first gained popularity with elderly people in Finland but has now spread to young people as well due to its effectiveness and simplicity, she said, pointing out that it only requires a pair of poles and can be done anytime, anywhere.
At present, about 20 percent of the Finnish population partakes in the exercise at least once a week and it is becoming popular in other European countries and the United States, according to the embassy.
No one knows for sure how many partake in the exercise in Japan, said Naohiro Takahashi, 32, the only Japanese certified as a coach by the International Nordic walking Association -- a status that allows him to issue licenses for instructors.
But Takahashi, a former cross-country skier who lived in Finland for about six years, said he is certain that Nordic walking is gaining recognition in Japan, noting that about 500 people became instructors through his programs over the course of 2006.
The number of sports shops selling Nordic walking poles has also grown steadily since the exercise was first brought to the country around seven years ago, Takahashi said.
Clubs have been established in various parts of the country and some local governments, including Date in Hokkaido and Shimoda in Shizuoka Prefecture, have also started to promote the exercise for fitness.
At a recent event in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, about 100 people learned the basics from Takahashi. They included Kenji Ogiwara, a multiple gold medalist in Nordic combined, and his twin brother, Tsugiharu.
"Nordic walking is not only good for losing weight but also for easing stiff shoulders, as you're required to use muscles around there," said Kenji Ogiwara, 37, who became a lawmaker in 2004 after retiring from skiing.
Tsugiharu Ogiwara, a sports commentator who was also a former Olympic Nordic combined skier, has been promoting Nordic walking over the last eight years and hopes it will grow more popular here as it does not take much of an investment to get started.
The poles, shorter than ski poles and made of carbon fiber, normally cost between 10,000 yen and 20,000 yen a set.
"It was easier than I expected," said Rieko Sato, 30, who did the exercise for the first time at the event with her sister, Hiroko, 27. "I think you feel like you're doing a sport if you walk with poles, and it is also more fun."
But the two sisters said they don't yet have the courage to practice Nordic walking in their neighborhood alone.
"I'm afraid that my neighbors will think I have a screw loose if they see me walking around with poles," the older sister said.
Miyoko Yamaguchi, 54, who has rheumatism, said her life changed dramatically after she encountered Nordic walking earlier this year. She said she has become more positive about her life by doing the exercise regularly.
"I'm feeling good now and my physical condition is better," said Yamaguchi, who no longer feels embarrassed about solo Nordic walking in public. "To me, a Nordic walking pole is a magic wand.
"It's like 'seeing is believing.' You won't know the difference from normal walking until you experience it," Takahashi said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.