Japan's Top 3
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:
Three Views
三景 Sankei in Japanese. The most famous list of them all, attributed to scholar Hayashi Razan back in 1643.
New Three Views
Castles
Three Famous Castles
三名城 Sanmeijō. Oddly, this list omits Japan's largest and most visited castle in Himeji.
Three Great Mountain Castles
三大山城 Sandaiyamashiro
Three Great Flatland Mountain Castles
三大平山城 Sandaihiroyamashiro
- Tsuyama Castle in Tsuyama, Okayama
- Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo
- Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama, Ehime
Three Famous Gardens
三名園 Sanmeien
Three Famous Mountains
三名山 Sanmeizan (Three Famous Mountains), also 三霊山 Sanreizan (Three Sacred Mountains)
Three Sacred Grounds
三大霊場 sandai-reijo
Three Famous Big Buddhas
三大大仏 Sandai-daibutsu
Three Great Festivals
三大祭 Sandaisai
The Neputa/Nebuta Matsuri of Aomori is often considered to be one of the top three festivals, but it is actually only listed as one of the top three festivals of the Tohoku region (below).
Three Great Festivals of Tohoku
Three Great Festivals of Kyoto
- Gion Matsuri
- Aoi Matsuri
- Jidai Matsuri
Three Hot Springs
Certainly one of the more hotly contested categories. (No pun intended).
Three Great Hot Springs
三大温泉 Sandaionsen
Three Famous Springs
三名泉 Sanmeisen. This list, too, was authored by Hayashi Razan.
Three Old Springs
三古湯 Sankosen
Three Baths of Fusō
扶桑三名湯 Fusō-sanmeiyu. Fusō is a poetic name for Japan and this one is credited to traveling haiku poet Matsuo Basho.
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
Three Holy Places of Ōshū
奥州三霊場 Ōshū sanreijō are the three most famous pilgrimage sites in the ancient land of Oku (奥), now known as Tohoku.
Shrines
Three Great Inari Shrines
三大稲荷 Sandai Inari
- Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto
- Toyokawa Inari Shrine, Aichi
- Saijō Inari, Okayama or Yūtoku Inari Shrine, Kashima
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 Kasuma Inari Shrine in Kasama are also suggested by some.
Three Great Tenjin Shrines
三大天神 Sandai Tenjin
- Kitano Tenman-gū in Kyoto, Kyoto
- Dazaifu Tenman-gū in Dazaifu, Fukuoka
- Hōfu Tenman-gū in Hofu, Yamaguchi
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.
Three Great Hachiman Shrines
三八幡 San Hachiman
Three Great Torii
三大鳥居 Sandai Torii
Three Hidden Regions
三大秘境 Sandaihikkyō
Top Three Gorges
Three Caves
Top Three Waterfalls
日本三名瀑
Three Sake Towns
日本三大酒処
- Fushimi, Kyoto
- Nada, Kobe
- Saijō, Higashihiroshima
Three lacquerware (漆器 shikki) Towns
日本三大漆器
Three Chinatowns
三大中華街 Sandai-chūkagai