The University of Tokyo · Social Sciences
Professor Kimihiro Hino's research lab focuses on urban health and population health promotion, with a strong emphasis on physical activity, built environment, and aging in urban settings. The lab investigates how environmental factors—such as walkability, neighborhood design, meteorological conditions, and urban farming—impact step counts and health behaviors across diverse populations, particularly older adults and urban residents in Japan. Using large-scale, longitudinal, and objective data (e.g., pedometer and GPS data), the lab applies advanced statistical methods to inform public health and urban planning policies in highly dense, aging societies.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
The present study confirmed a difference in step counts between players and nonplayers before and after the release of Pokémon GO. According to our analysis, step counts were higher until 7 months after the release. The player group maintained their step counts in winter, despite the decrease in step counts of nonplayers. In subgroup analyses, players were more likely to be men, aged <55 years, workers, active, and subjectively in good health.
People's year-round interpersonal step count variations according to meteorological conditions are not fully understood, because complete year-round data from a sufficient sample of the general population are difficult to acquire. This study examined the associations between meteorological conditions and objectively measured step counts using year-round data collected from a large cohort (<i>N</i> = 24,625) in Yokohama, Japan from April 2015 to March 2016. Two-piece linear regression analysis wa
This study examined the longitudinal association between the change in the step count of older adults and the neighborhood-built environment (BE) in Yokohama, Japan. We analyzed pedometer data in March 2016 and March 2019 that were acquired from 21,557 older adults aged 65-79 years at baseline, who lived in 758 neighborhoods in Yokohama City and participated in the Yokohama Walking Point Program (YWPP). Six BE variables were computed, for each of which neighborhoods were classified into quartile
In Japan, the world's most rapidly aging country, urban farming is attracting attention as an infrastructure for health activities. In Tokyo, urban residents generally participate in two types of farming programs: allotments and experience farms. The availability of regular interaction among participants distinguishes these two programs. We quantitatively examined the difference in changes in self-reported health status between participants in these two types of urban farming. We obtained retros
In Japan where the population is aging and declining, it is necessary to evaluate and improve the walkability of cities. However, it may not be appropriate to use the indices developed for American cities in highly dense cities in Asia. This study aimed to verify the association of a newly developed walkability index, which quantifies the accessibility of various urban amenities, with step counts of Yokohama citizens (n = 54,698). Participants were categorized into four subgroups according to se
Recent social changes such as declining birthrate, decline in public elementary schools, and increasing after-school activities may change parental attitudes toward children's walking to/from school, and subsequently, their mode of school travel over time. To maintain the high prevalence of walking to/from school in Japan, multidisciplinary approaches involving different stakeholders from education, public health, and urban planning are required to overcome sectionalism and support this behavior
Mobility management is a transportation policy aiming to change travel behavior from car use to sustainable transportation modes while increasing people's physical activity. Providing pedometers and visualizing step counts, popular interventions in public health practice, may constitute a mobility management program. However, the ease of modal shifts and changeability of walking habits differ across neighborhood environments. Using questionnaire data from 2023 middle-aged and older participants
The purpose of this study was to investigate how elderly people utilize their “third place”, places where they can visit and spend time freely without an appointment, and how the importance of these places affects elderly people. To achieve the purpose, questionnaire surveys were conducted targeting healthy elderly people aged 65-79 living in four municipalities. Followings are the major conclusion; 1. A total of 69.6% of respondents could identify their “third places”. As they age, their attend
The aim of this study was to investigate, in consideration of individual attributes and neighborhood-level social capital, the association between official crime rates and sense of neighborhood security among residents in the 23 wards of Tokyo, Japan, using data obtained from a national questionnaire survey and police statistics on crime for 511 neighborhoods. We found that crime rates affected residents’ sense of security differently according to the type of crime committed and the spatial scal
Abstract There have been limited reports on crime prevention policies by local governments in Japan, which is one of the safest countries in the world. This article reviews crime prevention policies in Adachi Ward, which used to have the highest crime rates in Tokyo. The government of Adachi Ward introduced the “Beautiful Windows Movement” (BWM) in 2008. Based on BWM, Adachi Ward implemented various programs and interventions based on two different aspects: the aspect of preventing minor crimes
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