On Monday, October 13 (Sports Day public holiday), a walking event organized by Shioya Town, Tochigi Prefecture, was held with a total of 330 participants.
Three courses were offered—4.5 km, 10 km, and 18 km—allowing participants of all ages and fitness levels to take part.
Surrounded by expansive rural landscapes, participants enjoyed walking through Shioya Town while taking in the beautiful autumn countryside scenery.
The 18 km course included a route along the Kinugawa River, passing by the Sanuki Stone Buddhas—a nationally designated historic site featuring Buddhist figures carved into a towering rock face.
Following the walking event,
the “Mountain Day Forum 2025 – Mountains and Health,”
hosted by the Japan Mountain Day Foundation, was held.Program：
- Lecture:
“How to Walk for Better Health”
Ms. Mayuko Ando
(PhD in Physical Education, Certified Health Exercise Instructor, Certified Mountain Guide) - Talk Show:
“Mountaineering as a Lifelong Pursuit – Enjoying It for Years to Come”
Ms. Ayako Kobayashi
Ms. Ayako Kobayashi, a renowned actress best known for her leading role in the NHK morning television drama Oshin, also serves as a Mountain Day Ambassador.
She shared her personal philosophy that “mountaineering is my life’s work,” speaking about the joy of continuing to enjoy mountains throughout one’s life. Oshin is a Japanese serialized morning television drama that originally aired on NHK from 1983 to 1984. The series, consisting of 297 episodes, follows the life of its protagonist from the Meiji era to the early 1980s.
It became one of the most widely watched television dramas in Japan and has since been broadcast in 68 countries worldwide, with subtitles in languages ranging from English to Arabic.
