ACRO building in Fujioka, Japan
A "hike-able" building I discovered during my travels. I was seduced to enter the first stair on the forest side, and ended up climbing 13 floors almost without knowing it. Really effectful and a nice view on the top.

Next Monday I will get on the flight to Tokyo, seeking to find inspiration and answers that will help tune my project research in the right direction. On beforehand, I would like to present some of my personal motivation for the topic of my project; "hike-ability".

First of all, I love exploring my surroundings, no matter if it is far into the mountains, or deep into the urban jungle. I have lived both in a small Norwegian city; in a valley next to a forest, and in the hearth of Tokyo, without beeing in real nature for at least two months. To be able to put forth images of the city as exciting and rewarding spaces to move about and explore is therefore a personal trigger.
Hiking is undeniably closely related to the Norwegian culture in terms of how we use the nature for recreation and resources. I am aware of this backround, and cannot deny that I enjoy classical mountain hiking, therefore cultural-emotionally it is a motivation that lies underneath the topic that I wish to pursue.

I am also interested in combining different fields, such as landscaping and urbanism, and still be able to work on a detailed level in a human scale. When it comes to Tokyo, its complexity triggers my creativity and it is a city that tolerates to be experimented with.

Last I would like to underline that the word "Hike-ability" does not neccessarily indicate verticality, a word that I have used perhaps too much lately. Hiking is basically to move a distance, where you seek to gain a deeper experience than just getting from A to B. I will develop this term through the semester and come back with more detailed thoughts later on.