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2026-02-28 · Ep 2000 · 18m

Running Tokyos Highway above Ginza Pre Marathon event

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Summary

---episode: 1992 title: Running Tokyos Highway above Ginza Pre Marathon event date: 2026-02-28 youtube_id: keYg6lUZzOY duration_seconds: 1112 channel: Only in Japan Go type: video_summary people:

  • John Daub
  • UFO Baba
  • UFO Bob
  • Walter Walters
  • Catherine
  • Leo
  • Kanae
  • Gigi
  • Kanae's dad
  • Koike-san
  • Laney
  • Leonardo da Vinci places:
  • Japan
  • Tokyo
  • United States
  • California
  • East Coast
  • Taiwan
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • Tokushima prefecture:
  • Tokyo
  • Tokushima city:
  • Tokyo neighborhood:
  • Ginza
  • Yurakucho
  • Shimbashi transport:
  • Shinkansen
  • Expressway (Shutoko)
  • Car season: Winter/Early Spring topics:
  • Tokyo Marathon 2026
  • Shutoko Highway Running Event
  • Pocari Sweat Hydration
  • Ginza Urban Planning
  • Cherry Blossom Forecast
  • Otsuka Pharmaceutical Museum
  • Marathon Training Tips
  • Tokyo Expressway History food:
  • Pocari Sweat
  • Neon Water japanese_terms:
  • Kosoku: Expressway
  • Shutoko: Capital Expressway
  • Otsuka Seiyaku: Otsuka Pharmaceutical
  • Koike-san: Governor Koike (honorific)
  • Maho: Magic/Spell (Patreon reference) tags:
  • tokyo-marathon
  • shutoko-highway
  • ginza-running
  • pocari-sweat
  • john-daub
  • only-in-japan
  • japan-running
  • tokyo-travel
  • hydration-tips
  • urban-planning
  • cherry-blossoms
  • otsuka-museum
  • marathon-training
  • japan-culture locations:
  • Ginza Highway
  • International Forum
  • Bic Camera
  • Otsuka Museum of Art
  • Yurakucho
  • Shimbashi

Running Tokyos Highway above Ginza Pre Marathon event

Overview

This video captures a unique pre-Tokyo Marathon event where a section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway (Shutoko) above Ginza is closed to traffic and opened exclusively for runners. Host John Daub participates in the "Tokyo Marathon Run on KK Kosoku," a special invitation-only event sponsored by Pocari Sweat and Asics. Running approximately one kilometer above the city streets, participants experience the expressway from a pedestrian perspective just one day before the main marathon race.

John provides commentary on the history of the Shutoko, noting it was built before the 1964 Olympics by drying up former rivers and canals, which is why the highway meanders rather than running straight. He discusses the logistics of the event, including wave starts, free T-shirts, and the international presence of runners from the US, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. The video also serves as a personal vlog where John shares his hydration strategy, marathon goals, and feelings about competing at age 52.

Beyond the run, the content delves into cultural and urban planning topics, such as the potential conversion of the expressway into a park or grassy walkway under Governor Koike. John also highlights the science behind Pocari Sweat, explaining the role of glucose in electrolyte absorption compared to water, and mentions the Otsuka Museum in Tokushima where visitors can touch digital replicas of famous artworks like the Mona Lisa.

Highlights

  • 00:01 John introduces the location above Tokyo on the Shutoko expressway, closed for runners.
  • 00:45 Eye-level view of the Shinkansen passing by the suspended highway over Ginza.
  • 01:45 Explanation of the highway's history: built over dried-up rivers before the 1964 Olympics.
  • 03:30 Overview of the event sponsors, Pocari Sweat and Asics, and the "Run on KK Kosoku" branding.
  • 05:00 Observation of international runners from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and the United States.
  • 07:30 Cherry blossom forecast update: blooms expected three days earlier due to warm weather.
  • 11:00 Science of hydration: why glucose is necessary in Pocari Sweat for electrolyte processing.
  • 11:45 Mention of the Otsuka Museum in Tokushima where you can touch a textured replica of the Mona Lisa.
  • 18:45 Discussion on urban planning talks to turn the expressway into a park or grassy walkway.
  • 22:30 John shares his past marathon times and goals for the upcoming race at age 52.

Timeline / Chapters

  • 00:00 Introduction to the Shutoko Run Event
  • 01:30 History of the Tokyo Expressway
  • 03:00 Event Sponsors and Logistics
  • 05:00 International Runner Waves
  • 07:00 Weather and Cherry Blossom Forecast
  • 10:00 Hydration Science and Pocari Sweat
  • 13:00 Exiting the Highway and Landmarks
  • 15:00 Marathon Philosophy and Achievement
  • 18:00 Future of the Expressway Park
  • 20:00 Final Prep and Race Goals

Japan Travel Tips

  • Marathon Tracking: If you are running the Tokyo Marathon, use your bib number (like John's 23174) to track your live time and location during the race.
  • Hydration Strategy: Sports drinks like Pocari Sweat contain glucose which helps process electrolytes better than plain water; plain water passes through the system faster due to lack of salt.
  • Weather Preparation: Tokyo in late February/early March can be unusually warm (up to 20°C); prepare for sun exposure with sunblock even in winter months.
  • Expressway History: The Shutoko meanders because it was built over existing rivers and canals; knowing this helps understand Tokyo's urban layout.
  • Event Registration: Special running events on closed highways often require advance registration or invitation; check sponsors like Asics or Pocari Sweat for opportunities.
  • Cultural Excursion: Visit the Otsuka Museum of Art in Tokushima if you want to experience art differently; they offer touchable digital scans of masterpieces.
  • Cherry Blossom Timing: Warm spells in February can advance cherry blossom blooms by several days; monitor forecasts closely if planning a hanami trip.
  • Video Etiquette: When filming events for creators, shoot horizontally to ensure footage is usable for editing and production.

Japanese Language & Culture Notes

  • Kosoku (高速): Abbreviation for "Kosoku Doro" meaning expressway or highway. Used frequently to refer to the Shutoko.
  • Shutoko (首都高): Short for "Shuto Kosoku Doro" (Metropolitan Expressway). The network of toll expressways serving the Greater Tokyo Area.
  • Otsuka Seiyaku (大塚製薬): Otsuka Pharmaceutical. The company behind Pocari Sweat; known for combining pharmaceutical science with nutrition.
  • Koike-san (小池さん): Refers to Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo. The honorific "-san" denotes respect.
  • Maho (魔法): Means "magic" or "spell." In this context, likely refers to a Patreon membership tier or supportive comment from a fan named Laney.
  • Baba (ババ): Often means "grandmother" but in nicknames like "UFO Baba," it can be a playful moniker. John greets "UFO Baba" and "UFO Bob" as friends.
  • Chan/San/Kun: While not explicitly detailed in every name, the use of "-san" (Koike-san) reflects standard Japanese honorifics used in professional or respectful contexts.

Food & Drink Guide

  • Pocari Sweat
    • Timestamp: 11:00
    • What it is: Ion supply drink (sports drink) developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical.
    • Significance: Official hydration partner for the Tokyo Marathon; distributes half a million cups on race day. Contains glucose to aid electrolyte absorption.
    • Cost: Not specified, but bottles provided at event booths.
  • Neon Water
    • Timestamp: 13:00
    • What it is: A lighter version of Pocari Sweat with less sugar.
    • Significance: Alternative for those watching sugar intake, though John notes standard Pocari Sweat is better for hydration retention due to sodium content.

People

  • John Daub: Host and runner; American living in Japan for 30+ years, running the Tokyo Marathon.
  • UFO Baba: Friend/supporter greeted by John at the start of the event.
  • UFO Bob: Friend from California mentioned among the US runners.
  • Walter Walters: Fellow runner greeted by John during the event.
  • Catherine: Patreon supporter mentioned by John for sending messages.
  • Leo & Kanae: John's family members (likely children) who will be cheering along the route.
  • Gigi: Family member or pet cheering along the route.
  • Kanae's Dad: Family member planning to cheer despite being under the weather.
  • Koike-san: Governor of Tokyo, referenced regarding potential highway park plans.
  • Laney: Patreon supporter mentioned at the end of the video.
  • Leonardo da Vinci: Referenced regarding the Mona Lisa texture scan at the Otsuka Museum.

Key Takeaways

  • The Shutoko expressway above Ginza was built over dried-up rivers before the 1964 Olympics, explaining its meandering path.
  • Pocari Sweat contains glucose which is biologically necessary to help the body process electrolytes effectively during hydration.
  • The Tokyo Marathon is highly competitive, with only about 1% of entrants successfully getting into the race.
  • Warm weather in late February 2026 is expected to cause cherry blossoms to bloom three days earlier than usual.
  • There are ongoing urban planning discussions to convert sections of the Ginza expressway into a park or grassy walkway.
  • John aims to match his previous marathon times (2:28 in 2007 or 3:12 in 2011) while prioritizing fun and experience at age 52.
  • Runners on the Shutoko event run 1km loops for about 30 minutes in waves before the main marathon day.

Notable Quotes

  • 01:45 "This is where the rivers of Tokyo used to go. The easiest way to build the highways through the city was to dry up the canals and rivers and then put the highway there."
  • 11:00 "Actually, it's the sugar, the glucose, which helps to process the electrolytes. Without the glucose, you can't really."
  • 15:15 "When you do a full marathon, even no matter what your time is, it is absolutely an achievement. You are now a marathoner forever."
  • 18:45 "If she turns this into a park, this would be so cool. But there's been serious talk, if not decided, that they're just going to turn this into a grassy walkway."
  • 21:45 "Like 1% of who enter get into this race. It's so competitive to even get in. If you do get in, take advantage of it."

Related Topics

  • Tokyo Marathon Race Guide
  • History of Tokyo Infrastructure
  • Sports Nutrition and Hydration
  • Urban Renewal Projects in Ginza
  • Cherry Blossom Forecasting in Japan
  • Expat Life in Tokyo

Search Tags

#tokyo-marathon #shutoko #ginza #pocari-sweat #john-daub #only-in-japan #running-japan #tokyo-travel #hydration #urban-planning #cherry-blossoms #otsuka-museum #marathon-training #japan-culture

Full Transcript

00:01 John Daub: Right now, I'm above Tokyo on the highway. This is the Kosoku, the Shutoko (expressway). I've driven this several times. It's just cool. Today, the day before the Tokyo Marathon, they closed it down and gave it to runners. I wanted to share my experience up here. It's a quick event that started this morning and ends around noon, so we have a little bit of time. Run, John, run. Thank you, UFO Baba. It's nice to see you.

00:45 John Daub: You can see the Shinkansen going by here. It's so cool to see it at eye level because I'm always down there. Just yesterday or the day before, I was down there walking the streets. This is above the highway, on the suspended highway over Ginza. Right now, they closed down about a kilometer of it. You have to be invited or register in advance for this event. This is so special. It's a new event, through the power of Pocari Sweat and Asics and the event sponsors.

01:45 John Daub: You can see I'm between the buildings running. I took this when I was literally running above ground. You can see the highway meanders through the city of Tokyo, which is cool. They built this before the 1964 Olympics. This is where the rivers of Tokyo used to go. The easiest way to build the highways through the city was to dry up the canals and rivers and then put the highway there. They were able to do that super fast, but the highways aren't straight. They kind of meander.

02:45 John Daub: You have to know the Shutoko before you drive it a little bit. Do some homework. But today you don't. You just gotta run. There I am, between the buildings in Ginza. This is so cool that they do this. There's that building in Yurakucho we saw yesterday in the live stream. Yeah, I made a little video highlighting my experience coming here in the morning.

03:30 John Daub: You can see the Pocari Sweat logo all over the place. I'm really grateful to be here with them. It feels like a family. This is such a cool event. This is the day where Pocari Sweat really shines. This is the Tokyo Marathon Run on KK Kosoku. I guess KK might be Kosoku, which is a highway. And there's the ramp to get on.

04:15 John Daub: My mouth is open because I live here. This is about 10 minutes from my house. And today where cars usually are, it's just shut down for runners. Is this not the coolest thing ever? Everybody gets a free T-shirt, a Run on Tokyo T-shirt in Pocari Sweat blue. Look at the Shinkansen glow. This is right before the event. You can see the runners getting ready. They do it in waves. I think there are five or six waves.

05:00 John Daub: This wave had runners from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong. I could hear a lot of Mandarin. And at least 100 runners from the United States are here. I was with the United States group. A lot of people from California, UFO Bob. A lot of your neighbors are here. I was going at a very slow pace. I'm not trying to prove anything today. I'm just trying to activate the muscles to keep them engaged for tomorrow's race.

05:45 John Daub: You're not going to gain anything by going fast today. Look at that, with the Shinkansen going by. Is that not the coolest thing? Usually these are cars going by at like 80 kilometers per hour. Everybody speeds up here on the Shutoko. If you go slow, you become like somebody in the way, right? I was going real slow here because I just thought it was too cool that the Shinkansen's going by. Here's that big cone. That was a turnaround spot.

06:30 John Daub: I'm going to add a little bit of this into the video that I'm editing about my Tokyo Marathon experience, which is more about the experience around the Tokyo Marathon. That feeling that you get. It's amazing how any city can put together a successful marathon where almost nothing goes wrong every single year. That's just super crazy to me. And that's a lot of work. Right now it's almost 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It's going to get to around 20 degrees Celsius. It's so warm. It's unusual for February.

07:30 John Daub: Those of you coming into Tokyo for the cherry blossoms, guess what? They're expected to bloom three days earlier because of this warm spell right now which seems to be going on and on. So tomorrow's race highs of 16, which is around 1 o'clock. I'll be finished the marathon, everything going my way by 12:30-ish, 12:40-ish. I hope so. Maybe it'll be about 14 degrees Celsius around then. Not much wind, which is kind of interesting. Usually the Tokyo Marathon is a very windy race because the winds in March are very, very strong in Tokyo, despite the fact that the course is flat.

08:30 John Daub: This is the view above the highway right now. And you can see the on-ramp. That's crazy. I've been living in Tokyo for over 20 years now. And it's crazy to see this to me, because I just live just down the street. Let's make this live stream a little useful. I guess they're doing one more wave of runners. There's the International Forum and Bic Camera over there. There's a limited space for dressing rooms, so I just came prepared. I came with my running shorts on.

09:30 John Daub: They're already putting stuff away. This is a really successful event. A lot of Pocari Sweat was drunk today. They give out half a million cups of Pocari Sweat on marathon day, which is really interesting. Walter Walters is here. How you doing, buddy? Good luck tomorrow. Oh, there's a Tokyo Marathon T-shirt this year. It's orange, which is very cool. But pre-marathon, we have the Pocari Sweat.

10:15 John Daub: There's a yellow guy over there. That's kind of cool. That dude's a superhero. Where's the exit? How do I get out of here? I'm trapped. I don't mind. I even had a warm-up sweatshirt. You can just leave your luggage on the side here. They're closing up the Pocari Sweat booth. I got a bottle here.

11:00 John Daub: I've been drinking this stuff for like three months straight. And it helps with hydration. I have to be honest, I didn't know a lot about this stuff. Yesterday they gave a presentation on how it works. They've been making this for 40 years. Same recipe. They need to have it sweet. I asked about it. I said, I want a no-sugar version. And they said, actually, it's the sugar, the glucose, which helps to process the electrolytes. Without the glucose, you can't really.

11:45 John Daub: So it's biological. I think this is better than Gatorade. Otsuka Seiyaku (Otsuka Pharmaceutical) is a pharmaceutical company, so they know a lot about this stuff. They have a museum, the Otsuka Museum in Tokushima. They have the Mona Lisa. And they did a digital scan of the Mona Lisa, but of all the paint and the texture of it. And you can go there and you can touch the Mona Lisa. The exact Mona Lisa with all the texture of it, all the brush strokes by da Vinci. They have other paintings that they've scanned and that you can touch it to feel it. It's a different way to appreciate art, because you can kind of connect with the artist feeling his brushstrokes.

13:00 John Daub: I thought the bottle with the light blue has less sugar. Yeah, that's called Neon Water, and it has less sugar. And this is the exit. Water only because it doesn't have salt in it. You end up peeing it out a lot faster. With Pocari Sweat or sports drinks, they'll stay in your system a lot longer because of the salt, the sodium. There's the Bic Camera store. Oh, I love Bic Camera Prefecture. Wait, no, Bic Camera store.

13:45 John Daub: There's the on-ramp. There's the ETC. This is so cool. I'm really grateful to be able to participate in this event. All right, you guys have any questions about this event? This is maybe the last live stream until tomorrow, which is marathon day. And I'll be running. If you check my bib number, 23174, you'll be able to track my time live and know where I am.

14:30 John Daub: So if you guys take a picture or take some video, try to do it horizontally. I'll try to use it in the video that I'm making. Just send to me. We'll find it. We have a Dropbox that we're sending video files to. So it's going to be a lot of fun tomorrow. I'm pretty psyched up about it, actually. Tomorrow's going to be a lot of fun. It's a day of doing battle the marathon. It's a crazy thing where you just start challenging yourself.

15:15 John Daub: You don't run the marathon to... I gotta be careful here because I did it because I always wanted to try it, because I'm very curious about life. Life is about a series of experiences, right? So this is an experience for sure. When you do a full marathon, even no matter what your time is, it is absolutely an achievement. You are now a marathoner forever. You can write that on your grave, which is so cool.

16:00 John Daub: I could write Scuba Diver, too, because I'm pretty proud of my Divemaster license. There's the USA Pocari Sweat team over there. Why do I have a signal up here? Down there, it's always kind of a dead zone. Catherine, thank you. I just saw your messages on Patreon you sent yesterday. I'm grateful for it. A lot of people messaged me on Patreon, too. I'm trying my best to respond, but I just don't have a lot of time.

16:45 John Daub: All I want to do tomorrow is to have some fun. My secondary goal, get as close to the time I got in the first marathon I ran 19 years ago. If I can do that, just be close, I'm going to be proud of myself. I think no matter what my time is. Leo and Kanae are going to be proud of me for taking on this challenge. They're going to be cheering for me along the route with Gigi. Kanae's dad's going to be outside. He's been under the weather, so we'll get him outside and cheering.

17:45 John Daub: It really does feel like spring is here. Just ridiculously warm. Everybody on the East Coast, I do not apologize for this weather. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. Any questions about this event? It's a really cool one again. It takes place about a 1km run along this stretch here just before Shimbashi. And then you just go back and forth for 30 minutes in your wave. So you're doing 1km loops. I did four or five.

18:45 John Daub: I heard that they're going to try to shut this down and make it a park. If they did that, Tokyo... I hope that Koike-san is governor of Tokyo for eternity. If she turns this into a park, this would be so cool. But there's been serious talk, if not decided, that they're just going to turn this into a grassy walkway. And this would make Ginza such an amazing place again. This is my backyard. So I'm really proud of that.

19:45 John Daub: Ladies and gentlemen, I survived the Pocari Sweat Tokyo Marathon Run on KK event. See you tomorrow. I'm gonna get a lot of good sleep. I'm gonna rest up today. Try to be 100% when I get to the starting line tomorrow, as close to it as possible and give it my best shot and have some fun and make a good video. That's all I want to do. And then after that, rest and recover.

20:45 John Daub: I'm staring in the face of battle right now. 42 kilometers is a long way. This is what I look like before. Get ready for what I look like tomorrow after. I promise I'm gonna do a live stream post-marathon, probably around 1 o'clock, between 1 and 2 o'clock. After I've gotten a chance to recover. If I'm still on the course, pray for me. I'll be okay. I'm mentally prepared. I've done it before.

21:45 John Daub: Psyching myself out. I can't get out of it now. You're locked in. I wouldn't want to anyways. You don't understand. Like 1% of who enter get into this race. It's so competitive to even get in. If you do get in, take advantage of it. It is really something special. Sunblock for sure tomorrow. Yeah, I'm gonna need it.

22:30 John Daub: All right, guys, take care. Have a good day. Have a good night, wherever you are. Leave me a comment of encouragement, and I'll do my very best. Make you guys proud. Maybe see some of you on the course tomorrow. I'll be running around a 3:30 pace, so let's see if I can match what I did in the 2007 Tokyo Marathon. The first one was held in 2007 and I ran 2 hours and 28 minutes, I believe. And then in 2011, I ran 3 hours and 12 minutes and 47 seconds, I think. And this year I'm 52. Just go out there, have some fun. All right, guys, take care. Happy March. By the way, it is March 1st in Japan. Happy March. Take care. Laney's Maho V3.75 for that makes me so happy. You always make us proud. Aww, that's nice. I'm grateful for that. All right, guys, take care.