{"id":6717,"date":"2025-08-08T17:55:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/?p=6717"},"modified":"2025-08-27T19:12:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T19:12:43","slug":"mariana-hernandez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/","title":{"rendered":"Mariana Hernandez"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Mariana Hernandez<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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What was the topic of your research project for the Global East Asia Tokyo course and why did you choose that topic?<\/strong> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My research focused on greenspace accessibility in Tokyo, specifically looking at how neighborhood-level greenspaces such as temple grounds, small parks, tree-lined corridors (namiki), and incidental green moments shape the city\u2019s livability. I chose this topic because I\u2019ve always been fascinated by how people interact with urban nature, especially in cities as dense as Tokyo. I wanted to explore how thoughtful green design can support public well-being, foster community, and reflect cultural values.<\/span><\/p>\n

What were the main findings and\/or highlights of your research?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I found that Tokyo\u2019s greenspaces, though often small or subtle, are closely woven into daily life. Places like Ueno Park, local temples, and tree-lined avenues aren\u2019t just ecological\u2014they\u2019re cultural and social, reflecting values of beauty, care, and accessibility. Even a plant wall or shrine grove offers a pause from the city.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you face any challenges when completing your research project or throughout the program in general?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

If so, how did you overcome them?\u00a0 One challenge was learning how to balance structured fieldwork with spontaneous discovery. At first, I wanted to document everything \u201cby the book,\u201d but Tokyo taught me to slow down and engage more openly with each site. I also had to push myself to ask locals questions despite the language barrier, but I found that observation and visual note-taking helped a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

In what ways did the Global East Asia Tokyo program impact or help your research?<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The program provided the perfect structure for immersive learning through walking tours, guest lectures, site visits, and time for independent exploration. Talking to professors and classmates helped me connect my observations to broader concepts like universal design, historical shifts in Tokyo\u2019s urban planning, and the post-1923 rebuilding of parks. Being able to actually walk through these spaces, rather than just study them in theory, gave me a completely different understanding of their design, history, and use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you share any anecdotes about your Maymester experience?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

One of my favorite moments was visiting Meiji Jingu. Even though it\u2019s in the middle of Tokyo, it felt completely detached from the city, calm, quiet, and shaded by tall trees. I saw a wedding photoshoot taking place while birds echoed overhead, and for a moment it felt like time slowed down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\"Banner<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":688,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-fellows"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMariana Hernandez<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mariana Hernandez - East Asian Studies Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"East Asian Studies Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-08T17:55:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T19:12:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Justine Phan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Justine Phan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/#\/schema\/person\/873d14639962fa56a2be4e299d885cc8\"},\"headline\":\"Mariana Hernandez\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-08T17:55:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-27T19:12:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/\"},\"wordCount\":2,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"Featured Fellows\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/eascenter\/2025\/08\/08\/mariana-hernandez\/\",\"name\":\"Mariana Hernandez - 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