Shinsen are offerings offered at Shinto shrines on the occasion of festivals. We compared shinsen offerings made at Hiyoshi-taisha in Shiga prefecture in the Meiji period and in the present from three angles: biological resources, stipulations on shinsen offerings, and outside agents making offerings. For one selected year in the early Meiji period and for the year 2010, we surveyed shinsen and investigated which biological resources were used. We compared the results and found two types of changes in the use of biological resources. Firstly, species of resources from water bodies, for example fishes and seaweeds, had decreased by 40%-70%. Secondly, changes had occurred in the use of vegetables and fruits. On the other hand, from 1873 to 1946, stipulations had regulated the number and combination of offerings according to the rank of a shrine and its festivals, while since 1946, only the kinds of dishes that could be offered was regulated. Not all changes in biological resources could be explained by stipulations, however. Regarding shinsen offerings offered by agents outside Hiyoshi-taisha such as community associations, our results showed little change since the Meiji period: records of methods of offering had been locally kept by these agents.

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This paper aims to identify how the landscape of Arashiyama in Kyoto was appreciated in the first half of the 20th century. We focused on the riverside scenery around Oi River. Our research was based on 288 postcards with photographs, which were published between 1900 and 1945. First, we measured the distance and direction between each viewpoint and the farthest point. Based on distances and directions of all postcards, we described scenery types and showed their distribution in the area. Second, we focused on the appearance of water surfaces and analyzed combinations of them. Third, we investigated waterfront lines and scenery elements. Our results were: 1) 6 types of scenery were found. Some of them featured particular viewpoints such as views from Nakanoshima; 2) The description of water surfaces showed variety especially around river structures such as the Togetsu Bridge and the IchinoIseki weir; 3) Over 80% of waterfront lines were interrupted: in many cases, they contained elements such as boats, fishermen, and trees. We concluded that Oi River was appreciated both from distant and close views, and that the location was described in multiple ways. It can be said that the landscape of Arashiyama was appreciated based on a comprehensive perspective of both the land and water zones.