AIKO HAYASHI

Aiko Hayashi is an enthusiastic and dedicated individual, actively involved in researching urban homogenization. Additionally, she showcases exceptional leadership abilities as a member of the student council. Aiko harbors a strong aspiration to reestablish people's connection to cities by utilizing her architectural expertise to implement the discoveries of her research in society.

During her one-year exchange program in the U.S., Aiko encountered a significant query about her deep love for her country, despite it being an intangible construct. This question prompted her to embark on a quest for understanding, particularly by exploring the diverse interpretations of historical conflicts and engaging in conversations with individuals from varied backgrounds. Throughout her study abroad experience, Aiko discovered a crucial lesson, which she stumbled upon in a casual remark made by her host father. The insight she gained was that regardless of a country's past, it is completely normal to have a deep love for one's homeland and the people who are dear to them. This newfound understanding not only gave her the answer she had been seeking for a long time but also highlighted the idea that a single fact can be seen and understood in different ways.

Aiko’s remarkable achievements include ranking 7th in her school’s mock university exam, excelling in math and science. Outside of school, she studies architecture and earned a gold medal in the well recognized ‘Odomos’ graduate program. In her extracurricular activities, she conducts research on the relationship between cities and human emotions at the University of Tokyo and founded a project to visualize the sensitivity of cities. Additionally, Aiko co-founded and holds the position of vice president in an organization that provides career education for high school students. Within her school, she displays leadership as the chairperson of the school festival committee and editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. 

Aiko’s ambition is to pursue architecture and urban studies at Columbia University in the U.S., where she seeks to gain a comprehensive perspective through a liberal arts education. Her ultimate goal is to become an architect who designs architecture and cites worldwide, drawing inspiration from concept of self-awareness and the city, similar to the renowned architect Kenzo Tange.