Urban Forest Tweeting: Social Media as More-Than-Human Communication in Tokyo’s Rinshinomori Park

Urban parks are places that have significant impact on the physical and mental health of citizens, but they are also for safeguarding biodiversity and thus fostering human–nature interactions in the everyday landscape. The exploration of these spaces through social media represents a novel field of research that is contributing to revealing patterns of visitor behavior. However, there is a lack of comparable research from a non-anthropocentric perspective. What if we could use social media as a more-than-human communication medium? This research aims to reveal the possibility of communicating the urban forest’s voice through the examination of the official Twitter account of a metropolitan park in Tokyo. To this end, an analysis of the content of the messages is carried out, focusing on the narrative voice from which the message is told, the protagonists, the action performed, the network of actors deployed, and the place where it occurs. It is found that the majority of these messages are delivered from a non-human perspective, where plants, animals, or meteorological agents behave deploying complex networks of more-than-human interaction. The current study reveals the latent potential of non-humans as possible agents within the realm of social media, which can mediate the relationships between humans and their environment. It introduces a layer that can be incorporated into future lines of research, as well as provides a model case that illustrates a good practice in the management and communication of urban green spaces.This research was funded by the European Union—Next Generation EU Margarita Salas Grant and by the project LABPA-CM: CONTEMPORARY CRITERIA, METHODS and TECHNIQUES FOR LANDSCAPE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSERVATION (H2019/HUM5692), funded by the European Social Fund and the Madrid regional government

Vivienda Transcultural. La arquitecta japonesa pionera Miho Hamaguchi y su último proyecto en España

Miho Hamaguchi (1915-1988) was the first woman to be a licensed architect in Japan. A pioneer in domestic design during the postwar period, she built and consulted on thousands of houses throughout her prolific career. However, she is a little-known figure both in Japan and in the international debate. Her representation in architectural historiography is limited to her influence on kitchen design, but her writings and work go far beyond. Hamaguchi's legacy is one of bold residential architecture that embodied democratic ideas in spatial configurations. She promoted the house as a fundamental tool for gender equality, leaving behind a feudal and patriarchal system. At the end of her career, she found in Costa del Sol the perfect place to carry out a residential project as a cultural exchange. "Kaiyo Club" became a set of three houses since the first design in 1974 until the subsequent extensions were completed in 1987. Throughout its different stages, the project shows a striking Spanish-Japanese transfer where different architectural languages coexist. The white-walled exterior dialogues with the vernacular, while its interior unfolds Japanese patterns with tatami-floored rooms or ofuro-style bathrooms. These dwellings present a unique hybrid materialization, displaying Hamaguchi's design from a humanistic stance, blending of locally rooted modernist spatial principles and reinterpreted traditions.Miho Hamaguchi (1915-1988) fue la primera arquitecta licenciada en Japón. Pionera en el diseño doméstico durante la posguerra, construyó y asesoró miles de casas a lo largo de su prolífica carrera. Sin embargo, es una figura poco conocida tanto en Japón como en el debate internacional. Su representación en la historiografía arquitectónica se limita a su influencia en el diseño de cocinas, pero sus escritos y su obra van mucho más allá. El legado de Hamaguchi es el de una arquitectura residencial audaz que plasmó ideas democráticas en las configuraciones espaciales. Promovió la casa como herramienta fundamental para la igualdad de género, dejando atrás un sistema feudal y patriarcal. Al final de su carrera, encontró en la Costa del Sol el lugar perfecto para llevar a cabo un proyecto residencial como intercambio cultural. "Kaiyo Club" se convirtió en un conjunto de tres casas desde el primer diseño en 1974 hasta las posteriores ampliaciones realizadas en 1987. A lo largo de sus diferentes etapas, el proyecto muestra una llamativa transferencia hispano-japonesa donde conviven diferentes lenguajes arquitectónicos. El exterior de paredes blancas dialoga con lo vernáculo, mientras que su interior despliega patrones japoneses con habitaciones de suelo de tatami o baños de estilo ofuro. Estas viviendas de Hamaguchi presentan una materialización híbrida única, mostrando su mezcla de principios espaciales modernistas enraizados en la localidad y tradiciones reinterpretadas, diseñando siempre desde una postura humanista

Daidokoro Monogatari: historias de la casa japonesa desde la cocina

Resumen Contar una historia (monogatari) sobre la cocina japonesa conlleva inevitablemente una reflexión sobre la tipología arquitectónica más célebre del país: la casa unifamiliar. Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la vivienda unifamiliar se convirtió en la unidad básica que conformó el paisaje urbano japonés. El rápido crecimiento económico dio lugar a un claro patrón no sólo en el mercado de la vivienda, sino también en la composición familiar. Influenciados por modelos occidentales, los roles de género convencionales se encarnaron en el hombre asalariado (salaryman), relacionado con los centros corporativos, y el ama de casa a tiempo completo (sengyō shufu), asociada al espacio doméstico. Entre todas las piezas habitacionales, la cocina era la más clara en su premisa: el lugar donde la mujer cocina. Esta construcción social estaba codificada en su articulación espacial, ya que solía estar aislada del resto de las habitaciones, posicionada en el fondo de la casa. Las arquitectas y arquitectos japoneses han desafiado estas convenciones mediante diseños de casas radicales, a menudo elogiadas por su pequeñez, blancura y ligereza. Sin embargo, resulta necesario ir más allá de esta ‘fetichización’ para evaluar estas propuestas conforme a las relaciones que plantean. Sus atrevidos diseños no sólo son innovadores en términos formales, sino que van más allá, subvirtiendo las nociones normativas de domesticidad y sugiriendo diversas ‘performatividades’ en la arquitectura. La cocina es a menudo el lugar donde la experimentación es más evidente, materializando ingeniosos conceptos en los modos de habitar. Las cuestiones relativas a la tecnología, la economía y, sobre todo, el género se despliegan en este lugar de trabajo doméstico. Conectada o aislada, visible u oculta, la cocina cristaliza las relaciones de poder a través de acciones arquitectónicas. Desde una perspectiva crítica de género, este artículo aborda las casas japonesas desde el siglo XX hasta la actualidad, mostrando diversas estrategias y exponiendo aquellos principios arquitectónicos y convenciones sociales contra los que se rebelan. Estas casas fomentan la creación de realidades alternativas, trastocando las ideas preconcebidas de lo que es una cocina, una casa o una familia. Abstract Telling a story (monogatari) about the Japanese kitchen inevitably entails reflecting on the most celebrated architectural typology in the country, the detached house. After World War II, it became the basic unit that shaped the Japanese urban landscape. Rapid economic growth resulted in a clear pattern not only in the housing market but also in family composition. Influenced by western models, conventional gender roles were embodied in the breadwinner (salaryman), related to corporate centers, and the full-time homemaker (sengyō shufu), associated with the domestic space. Among all the rooms, the kitchen was the clearest in its premise: the place where the wife cooks. This gender construct was encoded in its spatial articulation, with the kitchen being hidden from the rest of the house and usually occupying a dead-end position. Japanese architects have challenged these conventions through radical house designs, often praised for their smallness, whiteness, and lightness. However, it is necessary to go beyond this ‘fetishization’ to evaluate these proposals for the relationships they pose. Their bold designs are not only ground-breaking in formal terms but go further, subverting normative notions of domesticity and suggesting alternative gender ‘performativities’ in architecture. The kitchen is often the site of the most outstanding experimentation, materializing inventive concepts of living. Questions concerning technology, economy, and above all, gender unfold in this domestic workplace. If connected or isolated, visible or hidden, it materializes power relations through architectural actions. From a critical gender perspective, this article takes Japanese houses from the 20th century to the present day, showing diverse strategies and exposing those architectural principles and social conventions against which they rebel. These houses foster the creation of alternative realities, disrupting preconceived ideas of what is a kitchen, what is a house, or what is a family

Daidokoro Monogatari: Stories of the Japanese house from the kitchen

Abstract Telling a story (monogatari) about the Japanese kitchen inevitably entails reflecting on the most celebrated architectural typology in the country, the detached house. After World War II, it became the basic unit that shaped the Japanese urban landscape. Rapid economic growth resulted in a clear pattern not only in the housing market but also in family composition. Influenced by western models, conventional gender roles were embodied in the breadwinner (salaryman), related to corporate centers, and the full-time homemaker (sengyō shufu), associated with the domestic space. Among all the rooms, the kitchen was the clearest in its premise: the place where the wife cooks. This gender construct was encoded in its spatial articulation, with the kitchen being hidden from the rest of the house and usually occupying a dead-end position. Japanese architects have challenged these conventions through radical house designs, often praised for their smallness, whiteness, and lightness. However, it is necessary to go beyond this ‘fetishization’ to evaluate these proposals for the relationships they pose. Their bold designs are not only ground-breaking in formal terms but go further, subverting normative notions of domesticity and suggesting alternative gender ‘performativities’ in architecture. The kitchen is often the site of the most outstanding experimentation, materializing inventive concepts of living. Questions concerning technology, economy, and above all, gender unfold in this domestic workplace. If connected or isolated, visible or hidden, it materializes power relations through architectural actions. From a critical gender perspective, this article takes Japanese houses from the 20th century to the present day, showing diverse strategies and exposing those architectural principles and social conventions against which they rebel. These houses foster the creation of alternative realities, disrupting preconceived ideas of what is a kitchen, what is a house, or what is a famil

Daidokoro Monogatari: Stories of the Japanese house from the kitchen

AbstractTelling a story (monogatari) about the Japanese kitchen inevitably entails reflecting on the most celebrated architectural typology in the country, the detached house. After World War II, it became the basic unit that shaped the Japanese urban landscape. Rapid economic growth resulted in a clear pattern not only in the housing market but also in family composition. Influenced by western models, conventional gender roles were embodied in the breadwinner (salaryman), related to corporate centers, and the full-time homemaker (sengyō shufu), associated with the domestic space. Among all the rooms, the kitchen was the clearest in its premise: the place where the wife cooks. This gender construct was encoded in its spatial articulation, with the kitchen being hidden from the rest of the house and usually occupying a dead-end position. Japanese architects have challenged these conventions through radical house designs, often praised for their smallness, whiteness, and lightness. However, it is necessary to go beyond this ‘fetishization’ to evaluate these proposals for the relationships they pose. Their bold designs are not only ground-breaking in formal terms but go further, subverting normative notions of domesticity and suggesting alternative gender ‘performativities’ in architecture. The kitchen is often the site of the most outstanding experimentation, materializing inventive concepts of living. Questions concerning technology, economy, and above all, gender unfold in this domestic workplace. If connected or isolated, visible or hidden, it materializes power relations through architectural actions. From a critical gender perspective, this article takes Japanese houses from the 20th century to the present day, showing diverse strategies and exposing those architectural principles and social conventions against which they rebel. These houses foster the creation of alternative realities, disrupting preconceived ideas of what is a kitchen, what is a house, or what is a famil

Daidokoro Monogatari: historias de la casa japonesa desde la cocina

ResumenContar una historia (monogatari) sobre la cocina japonesa conlleva inevitablemente una reflexión sobre la tipología arquitectónica más célebre del país: la casa unifamiliar. Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la vivienda unifamiliar se convirtió en la unidad básica que conformó el paisaje urbano japonés. El rápido crecimiento económico dio lugar a un claro patrón no sólo en el mercado de la vivienda, sino también en la composición familiar. Influenciados por modelos occidentales, los roles de género convencionales se encarnaron en el hombre asalariado (salaryman), relacionado con los centros corporativos, y el ama de casa a tiempo completo (sengyō shufu), asociada al espacio doméstico. Entre todas las piezas habitacionales, la cocina era la más clara en su premisa: el lugar donde la mujer cocina. Esta construcción social estaba codificada en su articulación espacial, ya que solía estar aislada del resto de las habitaciones, posicionada en el fondo de la casa. Las arquitectas y arquitectos japoneses han desafiado estas convenciones mediante diseños de casas radicales, a menudo elogiadas por su pequeñez, blancura y ligereza. Sin embargo, resulta necesario ir más allá de esta ‘fetichización’ para evaluar estas propuestas conforme a las relaciones que plantean. Sus atrevidos diseños no sólo son innovadores en términos formales, sino que van más allá, subvirtiendo las nociones normativas de domesticidad y sugiriendo diversas ‘performatividades’ en la arquitectura. La cocina es a menudo el lugar donde la experimentación es más evidente, materializando ingeniosos conceptos en los modos de habitar. Las cuestiones relativas a la tecnología, la economía y, sobre todo, el género se despliegan en este lugar de trabajo doméstico. Conectada o aislada, visible u oculta, la cocina cristaliza las relaciones de poder a través de acciones arquitectónicas. Desde una perspectiva crítica de género, este artículo aborda las casas japonesas desde el siglo XX hasta la actualidad, mostrando diversas estrategias y exponiendo aquellos principios arquitectónicos y convenciones sociales contra los que se rebelan. Estas casas fomentan la creación de realidades alternativas, trastocando las ideas preconcebidas de lo que es una cocina, una casa o una familia.AbstractTelling a story (monogatari) about the Japanese kitchen inevitably entails reflecting on the most celebrated architectural typology in the country, the detached house. After World War II, it became the basic unit that shaped the Japanese urban landscape. Rapid economic growth resulted in a clear pattern not only in the housing market but also in family composition. Influenced by western models, conventional gender roles were embodied in the breadwinner (salaryman), related to corporate centers, and the full-time homemaker (sengyō shufu), associated with the domestic space. Among all the rooms, the kitchen was the clearest in its premise: the place where the wife cooks. This gender construct was encoded in its spatial articulation, with the kitchen being hidden from the rest of the house and usually occupying a dead-end position. Japanese architects have challenged these conventions through radical house designs, often praised for their smallness, whiteness, and lightness. However, it is necessary to go beyond this ‘fetishization’ to evaluate these proposals for the relationships they pose. Their bold designs are not only ground-breaking in formal terms but go further, subverting normative notions of domesticity and suggesting alternative gender ‘performativities’ in architecture. The kitchen is often the site of the most outstanding experimentation, materializing inventive concepts of living. Questions concerning technology, economy, and above all, gender unfold in this domestic workplace. If connected or isolated, visible or hidden, it materializes power relations through architectural actions. From a critical gender perspective, this article takes Japanese houses from the 20th century to the present day, showing diverse strategies and exposing those architectural principles and social conventions against which they rebel. These houses foster the creation of alternative realities, disrupting preconceived ideas of what is a kitchen, what is a house, or what is a family

Tokyo Metropolitan Parks as urban forestry assemblagesreframing more-than-human commons in the city

This study explores urban forestry as a maintenance practice capable of enhancing more-than-human commons in the city. Focusing on the places associated with tree care, the methodology takes as a case study the Tokyo Metropolitan Parks, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis through the means of immersive field work and questionnaires, to reveal how urban forestry practices materialize within the parks. Regarding the spatial relations between humans and/or non-humans with resources, different Urban Forestry Elements (UFE) have been found, as well as their collection in groups within the parks forming Urban Forestry Assemblages (UFA). The paper creates a comprehensive framework that reveals these places for urban forestry as important beacons for urban commoning

On the Electrochemical Detection of Alpha-Fetoprotein Using Aptamers: DNA Isothermal Amplification Strategies to Improve the Performance of Weak Aptamers

Affinity characterization is essential to develop reliable aptamers for tumor biomarker detection. For alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), two DNA aptamers were described with very different affinity. In this work, we estimate the dissociation constant of both of them by means of a direct assay on magnetic beads modified with AFP and electrochemical detection on carbon screen-printed electrodes (SPCE). Unlike previous works, both aptamers showed similar dissociation constant (Kd) values, in the subµM range. In order to improve the performance of these aptamers, we proposed the isothermal amplification of the aptamers by both terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) and rolling circle amplification (RCA). Both DNA amplifications improved the sensitivity and also the apparent binding constants from 713 nM to 189 nM for the short aptamer and from 526 nM to 32 nM for the long aptamer. This improvement depends on the true affinity of the binding pair, which ultimately limits the analytical usefulness