Whether it’s a buzz on your wrist or a notification on your phone, the quest for 10,000 steps has changed how we move. But where did this number actually come from? Surprisingly, it wasn't born in a lab—it was born in a marketing office. In the lead-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a Japanese company released a pedometer called Manpo-kei , which literally translates to "10,000-step meter." The number was chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 (万) looks like a person w