Ino Tadataka

Ino Tadataka was a pioneering Japanese geometer and cartographer, renowned for his extensive surveys of Japan during the Edo period. Born in 1745, he is often referred to as 'the man with 40 million steps' due to his tireless efforts to map the archipelago, covering over 40,000 kilometers on foot. His work laid the foundation for modern Japanese cartography and has inspired numerous literary and artistic endeavors, including Emmanuel Ruben's recent book that chronicles both Tadataka's life and the author's own journey through Japan.