2. Walking and Running Styles of the Edo Period
（I）Walking Style of the Edo period
According to the documents and written by foreign visitors to Japan
in the beggining of the Meiji period (late 19th century),
the walking style of Japanese people during the Edo period
appears to be totally different that how we walk today.
[Edo Walking Style]
・The forward leg was bent at the knee,
putting the foot straight down on the ball of the foot
so the heel hardly touched the ground.
・Steps were short in distance.
・Arm swinging was kept to a minimum
（the torso was kept relatively straight）
This walking style is called "Namba aruki" or "Namba walk" today.
Japanese people used to wear unique clothing called kimono
and shoes such as zouri (Japanese sandals) and geta (wooden clogs),
which didn’t hold heels at that time.
They ended up developing their own walking style
so as not to dishevel their clothes.
