Review of: John Stevens, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level 5 by design analogy (book review / narrative commentary).
OpenAlex W2339652377 · doi:10.18874/jjrs.16.2-3.1989.251-253
What was done
This is a book review of John Stevens' *The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei*, the first English-language book describing the *kaihōgyō*, an ascetic pilgrimage practice of the Tendai Buddhist sect at Mount Hiei involving walking a 30-kilometer route around mountain peaks and praying at 255 sacred sites.
What was found
The text notes that the *kaihōgyō* is undertaken either for 100 consecutive days or 1,000 days spread over seven years, with 46 monks having completed the full 1,000-day practice since 1885. It documents a major surge in Japanese media and public interest in the practice during the mid-1980s, noting the coverage of 61-year-old Sakai Yūsai completing a second 1,000-day cycle, and outlines the contents of the book.
Why it matters
The review summarizes the first English-language monograph dedicated to the history, doctrines, and contemporary practice of Mount Hiei's marathon ascetic traditions.
Limits
This is a descriptive book review rather than an empirical study. It contains no primary data collection, physiological measurements, or systematic research methodology.
Cited by
- context In Japanese Zen marathon practice (kaihōgyō), participants undergo a 7-year training protocol culminating in running over 50 miles per day for 100 straight days, with only 48 people completing it since the 1850s.