This article analyzes texts of Mame Techo Kara (From Small Notes) and Shufu Cho (Autumn Winds Notes) contributed to Tokyo Asahi Shimbun in 1920, extracts expressions of a shared representative inclination found in the two series, and based on the results, elucidates the significance of the found inclination. The significance of the representative inclination of the target texts is identified as being such that the accumulation of descriptions on more than one aspect and characteristic of an object stimulates wide interest among the readers and, at the same time, provides them with perspectives that are different from their original interest, thereby encouraging them to obtain new levels of perspective and ways of thinking. While this inclination is based on the premise of popularization of culture in general, it does not simply provide readers with information for entertainment and sightseeing nor with established and conclusive knowledge. Most importantly, Yanagita attempts to leave sufficient room for the readers to notice the multilayered nature of an object by themselves and develop their thoughts spontaneously. This kind of representation exerts effects on the readers both at the time of reading and afterward as well.

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This study examines how robotic vacuum cleaners became a common household item, with an aim to understand their “quotidianization” historically. First, fieldwork was conducted at the author’s house to investigate how people gradually became accustomed to a robot vacuum cleaner, which was initially viewed as a curiosity. The dynamic process applied reviewed the interaction between the various house elements holistically, rather than through just a fixed bilateral relationship between the device and its users. Additionally, from a historical perspective, it was confirmed that the spread of step-free floors to promote barrier-free access contributed toward the routine use of robot vacuum cleaners. Furthermore, robot vacuum cleaners are needed because people believe that dust mites and house dust should be removed, and this notion was also formed historically with the increase in awareness of allergies around the 1970s. Specifically, an analysis of newspaper narratives reveals that the issue of allergies relating to environmental problems and changes in living styles was widely discussed, such as the spread of air conditioning and increased insulation, leading to the notion that these invisible contaminants should be removed. In this way, it is possible to understand how this technology has become an everyday item in relation to various elements of life, suggesting this as one way to think about the issue of “quotidianization.”

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In 1993, Yakushima, a remote island in Japan, was registered as a World Natural Heritage. Since then, Western concepts of “nature” have been brought to Yakushima, causing the mountains of Yakushima and the lives of the islanders to be separated from the traditions of Yakushima in different ways, and the lives of the islanders to be at the mercy of values and lines drawn from outside the island. Furthermore, the rapid increase in the number of tourists and the birth of the profession of mountain guides on the island have changed the way islanders relate to the mountains. In 2015, a revival of a folk song called Matsubanda, which had nearly been lost, occurred. In the revival, the singers particularly like the lyrics of Matsubanda, which are about the mountains of Yakushima. Following the lyrics as a clue, this paper examines how the local people at present cognize “nature” through their folk songs.

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