After the Three Views were composed in the 17th century, many authors have come up with their own lists of Japanese sites and attractions. While there are countless lists and variations thereof, here is a selection of the best-known ones:
Views
Three Views
Amanohashidate 's "Bridge to Heaven" (Photo: kanesue, CC BY 3.0)
Sankei (三景). The most famous list of them all, attributed to scholar Hayashi Gahō back in 1643. They follow the Snow-Moon-Flower (雪月花) aesthetic with Amanohashidate representing the snow (雪), Matsushima representing the moon (月), and Miyajima representing the flower (花), although the "flowers" are said to actually be the autumn leaves.
New Three Views
日本新三景
- Onuma, Hokkaido
- Miho no Matsubara, Shizuoka
- Yaba Valley, Oita
Three Great Night Views
三大夜景 Sandaiyakei
- Hakodate seen from Mount Hakodate
- Kobe and Osaka Bay seen from Mount Rokko
- Nagasaki seen from Mount Inasa
New Three Great Night Views
新三大夜景 Shin-sandaiyakei
- Kitakyushu seen from Mount Sarakurayama
- Nara seen from Mount Wakakusayama
- Yamanashi seen from Fuefuki River Fruit Park
Castles
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi (Photo: Fraxinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Three Famous Castles
三名城 Sanmeijō. A list written by Ogyu Sorai in the Edo Period. He chose these three castles as the top among those designed by Kato Kiyomasa and Todo Takatora who he considered to be the best castle designers. All three are modern reconstructions, since Kumamoto Castle burned down during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion and Nagoya and Osaka Castles were destroyed during World War II. Himeji Castle, widely recognized as Japan's greatest surviving castle, didn't make the cut back in the late 1600s.
Three Great Mountain Castles
三大山城 Sandaiyamajiro
- Bitchu Matsuyama Castle Takahashi
- Iwamura Castle Iwamura
- Takatori Castle Takatori
Three Great Flatland Mountain Castles
三大平山城 Sandaihirayamajiro.
- Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo
- Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Ehime
- Tsuyama Castle in Tsuyama, Okayama
Three Famous Gardens
Korakuen Garden, Okayama (Photo: Malaiya, CC BY-SA 4.0)
三名園 Sanmeien
It is unclear when these gardens were chosen or by whom. The first recorded list dates back to 1899, but a postcard bought by Shiki Masaoka from his visit to Korakuen Garden in 1891 has "Korakuen Garden, Number 1 of the Top 3 Gardens" written on the back. It is widely believed that the gardens follow the "Snow-Moon-Flower" (雪月花) aesthetic coined by a famous Chinese poem by Bai Juyi. Kenrokuen Garden, famous for its snowy scenery, represents the "Snow" (雪), Korakuen Garden, which to this day has an autumn moon-viewing event, represents the "Moon" (月), and Kairakuen, known for its early spring plum blossoms, represents the "Flower" (花). In addition, each of the gardens are strolling gardens built by famous daimyo (The Tokugawa built Kairakuen, the Ikeda built Korakuen, and the Maeda built Kenrokuen) which is also believed to have played a role in which gardens were given the prestigious designation.
Festivals
Gion Matsuri, Kyoto (Photo: Corpse Reviver, CC BY 3.0)
Nebuta Matsuri, Aomori (Photo: 岩浪陸, CC BY 3.0)
Gujo Odori, Gujo (Photo: 丸山徹, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Konomiya Naked Festival in Inazawa (Photo: KKPCW, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Omagari Fireworks, Daisen (Photo: KANSEI, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Three Great Festivals
三大祭り Sandai Matsuri
Three Beautiful Festivals
日本三大美祭り Nihon Sandai bimatsuri
- Gion Festival (Kyoto, Kyoto)
- Takayama Festival (Takayama, Gifu)
- Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu, Saitama)
The beauty list is often referenced interchangeably with the Three Great Float Festivals (日本三大曳山祭り Nihonsandai hikiyamamatsuri), which sometimes features Nagahama's Hikiyama Festival in place of the Chichibu Yomatsuri.
Three Great Obon Festivals
日本三大盆踊り Nihon Sandai Bon-odori
Three Great Naked Festivals
日本三大裸祭り Nihon Sandai Hadakamatsuri
- Saidaiji Eyo (Okayama, Okayama)
- Wakamiya Shrine Autumn Festival (Bungotakada, Oita)
- Konomiya Naked Festival (Inazawa, Aichi)
Some lists replace the Konomiya Naked Festival with the Hadakabo Festival in Hofu, Yamaguchi or the Furukawa Festival in Hida, Gifu.
Three Great Fireworks
日本三大花火 Nihon Sandai Hanabi
- Omagari Fireworks (Daisen, Akita)
- Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks (Tsuchiura, Ibaraki)
- Nagaoka Fireworks (Nagaoka, Niigata)
Three Tanabata Festivals
日本三大七夕祭り Nihon Sandai Tanabata-matsuri
- Sendai Tanabata Festival (Sendai, Miyagi)
- Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (Hiratsuka, Kanagawa)
- Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival (Ichinomiya, Aichi)
Some list Anjo Tanabata Festival in Anjo instead of the Ichinomiya festival.
Hot springs
Shirahama Onsen (Photo: Prue Simmons, CC BY 2.0)
Certainly one of the more hotly contested categories (pun intended).
Three Great Hot Springs
三大温泉 Sandaionsen
Three Famous Springs
三名泉 Sanmeisen. Authored by Hayashi Razan, father of Hayashi Gahō.
Three Old Springs
Bathhouse, Dogo Onsen (Photo: User: (WT-shared) Jpatokal at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0)
三古湯 Sankotō, Three Old Hot Springs.
Three Baths of Fusō
扶桑三名湯 Fusō-sanmeitō. Fusō is a poetic name for Japan and this one is credited to traveling haiku poet Matsuo Basho.
Kusatsu Onsen (Photo: KΛNΛTΛ, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Shrines
Three Great Inari Shrines
Fushimi Inari, Kyoto (Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Usa Shrine, Usa (Photo: Dana + LeRoy Bunward, CC BY 2.0)
三大稲荷 Sandai Inari
As the head of all Inari shrines, Fushimi Inari Shrine is naturally one of the top three, but there is little historical or present consensus on the others. After Fushimi Inari, the list varies depending on the source. Takekoma Shrine in Iwanuma and Kasama Inari Shrine in Kasama are also suggested by some. To further confuse things, there is a "Top 5 Inari Shrines" (五大稲荷) list that doesn't contain any shrines in the "Top 3" list
- Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto
- Toyokawa Inari Shrine, Toyokawa
- Saijō Inari, Okayama or Yūtoku Inari Shrine, Kashima
Three Great Tenjin Shrines
三大天神 Sandai Tenjin
All Tenjin (Tenmangu) shrines are dedicated to the worship of Sugawara Michizane. This top three list actually highlights his exile from Kyoto to Dazaifu. Along the way, he stopped in Hofu and built the first Tenjin shrine. Official dedication of shrines to him began after his death when a series of natural disasters and tragedies in the capital were believed to be caused by his restless soul seeking vengeance for his unjust exile. Kitano Tenmangu was built to pacify him.
- Kitano Tenman-gū in Kyoto, Kyoto
- Dazaifu Tenman-gū in Dazaifu, Fukuoka
- Hōfu Tenman-gū in Hofu, Yamaguchi
Three Great Hachiman Shrines
三八幡 San Hachiman
- Usa Hachimangu Shrine (Usa, Oita)
- Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine (Yawata, Kyoto)
- Hakozaki Hachimangu Shrine (Fukuoka, Fukuoka)
Three Great Torii
三大鳥居 Sandai Torii
Temples
Three Sacred Grounds
Okunoin graves on Mount Koya (Photo: (WT-en) Joel at English Wikivoyage, Public domain)
三大霊場 sandai-reijo
Sulphur pit, Mount Osore (Photo: (WT-en) Jpatokal at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Three Famous Big Buddhas
Great Buddha of Kamakura (Photo: Wei-Te Wong from Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China, CC BY-SA 2.0)
三大大仏 Sandai-daibutsu
Three Pagodas
三名塔 Sanmeitō
Three Hase Temples
三長谷 Sanhase
Three Kannon Temples
三大観音 Sandai Kannon
Nature
Mount Fuji (Photo: Alpsdake, Public domain)
Osugi Gorge (Photo: Kitadake3193, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Akiyoshido Cave, the largest in Japan (Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kegon Falls (Photo: Jordy Meow, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mount Moriyoshi in Kitaakita (Photo: Marho, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Yamataka Jindai-zakura (Photo: Leynadmar, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kitakami Tenshochi in Kitakami (Photo: Hiroaki Kaneko, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Three Famous Mountains
三名山 Sanmeizan (Three Famous Mountains), also 三霊山 Sanreizan (Three Sacred Mountains)
Three Clear Water Rivers
三大清流 Sandai seiryū
Three Gorges
三大渓谷 Sandai Keikoku
Three Rapid Tides
三大急潮 Sandai kyūchō
- Kurushima Strait off Imabari
- Naruto Strait between Awaji Island and Naruto (Tokushima)
- Kanmon Strait between Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu
Three Caves
三大鍾乳洞 Sandai-shōnyūdō
Three Waterfalls
日本三名瀑 Nihon San-meibaku
- Nachi Falls
- Kegon Falls
- Fukuroda Falls (Ibaraki Prefecture)
Three Pine Groves
三大松原 Sandai-matsubara
- Miho no Matsubara (Shizuoka, Shizuoka)
- Niji no Matsubara (Karatsu, Saga)
- Kehi no Matsubara (Tsuruga, Fukui)
Three Snow Monsters
三大樹氷 Sandai-juhyo
Certain mountains in northern Japan have the right trees and weather conditions to cover the trees completely in snow to transform them into Juhyo (樹氷) or "Snow Monsters" (also sometimes called "Ice Monsters" in Japanese). These sites were chosen because they feature a good number of snow monsters along with having a ski lift for easy access.
Cherry Blossom Spots
三大桜名所 Sandai Sakura Meisho
Cherry Blossom Trees
三大桜 Sandai-zakura
- Miharu Takizakura (Miharu, Fukushima)
- Neodani Usuzumi-zakura (Motosu, Gifu)
- Yamataka Jindai-zakura (Hokuto, Yamanashi)
Night Cherry Blossoms
三大夜桜 Sandai-yozakura
Three Autumn Colors
三大紅葉の里 Sandai-momiji-no-sato
- Nikko, Tochigi
- Arashiyama, Kyoto
- Yaba Gorge, Oita
Towns
Vine bridge, Iya Valley (Photo: User: (WT-shared) Jpatokal at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sekigahara Battlefield (Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kurashiki 's Historic District (Photo: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Arita-yaki torii in Arita (Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Chinatown, Yokohama (Photo: (WT-en) Bobo12345 at English Wikivoyage, Public domain)
Three Hidden Regions
三大秘境 Sandaihikyō
- Shirakawa-go, Gifu
- Iya Valley, Tokushima
- Shiiba, Miyazaki
Three Sake Towns
日本三大酒処 Sandai Sakedokoro
- Fushimi, Kyoto/South
- Nada, Kobe
- Saijō, Higashihiroshima
Three Historical Battlefields
三大古戦場 Sandai-kosenjō
- Dan-no-ura 1185 (Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi)
- Okehazama 1560 (Nagoya, Aichi)
- Sekigahara 1600 (Sekigahara, Gifu)
Three Historic Warehouse Towns
日本三大蔵の町 Sandai Kuranomachi
Three Ceramicware Areas
三大焼き物 Sandai-yakimono
- Mino-yaki (Tajimi and other eastern Gifu)
- Seto-yaki (Seto, Aichi)
- Arita-yaki (or Imari-yaki) (Arita and Imari, Saga)
Three Lacquerware Towns
日本三大漆器 Sandai Shikki
Three Chinatowns
三大中華街 Sandai-chūkagai
Three Beautiful Ports
三大美港 Sandai-bikō
Three Fishery Ports
三大漁港 Sandai-gyokō
Three morning markets
三大朝市 Sandai-asaichi
- Wajima, Ishikawa - (Unfortunately devastated by a great fire after the earthquake Jan 2024)
- Katsuura, Chiba
- Takayama, Gifu
Food
Kitakata Ramen (Photo: Lombroso, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sanuki Udon (Photo: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki from Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Soba
三大そば Sandai-soba, buckwheat noodles
Wanko Soba (Morioka/Hanamaki, Iwate)
Ramen
三大ラーメン Sandai-ramen
- Sapporo Ramen (Sapporo, Hokkaido) - miso soup based
- Kitakata Ramen (Kitakata, Fukushima) - soy sauce based
- Hakata Ramen (Fukuoka, Fukuoka) - pork broth based
Udon
三大うどん Sandai-udon
Beef
三大和牛 Sandai-wagyu
Some sources also claim Yonezawa Beef (Yonezawa) is one of the top three beefs.
Green Tea
三大銘茶 Sandai-meicha
Accommodation
Three Great Hotels
ホテル御三家 hoteru gosanke
- The Imperial Hotel (帝国ホテル) (Tokyo).
- Hotel Okura (ホテルオークラ) (Tokyo).
- Hotel New Otani (ホテルニューオータニ) (Tokyo).
Three Great Historic Ryokan
老舗旅館の御三家 shinise ryokan no gosanke
Where this page came from
This page was imported from Wikivoyage. “Japan's Top 3” from Wikivoyage, by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changed here: set as a page; edit links, maps and listing metadata left out; each photo under its own licence, credited in its caption.
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Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Adapted from en.wikivoyage.org
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