Japan's Top 3

This article is a travel topic 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 Floating torii, Miyajima 三景 Sankei in Japanese. The most famous list of them all, attributed to scholar Hayashi Razan back in 1643. Amanohashidate, Kyoto Matsushima, Miyagi Miyajima, Hiroshima New Three Views Onuma, Hokkaido Miho no Matsubara, Shizuoka Yaba Valley, Oita Castles Himeji Castle Three Famous Castles 三名城 Sanmeijō Nagoya Castle Nagoya, Aichi Osaka Castle Osaka, Osaka Kumamoto Castle Kumamoto, Kumamoto Three Great Mountain Castles 三大山城 Sandaiyamashiro Iwamura Castle Iwamura Takatori Castle Takatori Bitchu Matsuyama Castle Takahashi 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 Korakuen Garden, Okayama 三名園 Sanmeien Kairakuen, Mito, Ibaraki Kenrokuen, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Kōrakuen, Okayama, Okayama Three Famous Mountains Mount Fuji 三名山 Sanmeizan (Three Famous Mountains), also 三霊山 Sanreizan (Three Sacred Mountains) Mount Fuji Mount Haku Mount Tate Three Sacred Grounds Okunoin graves on Mount Koya 三大霊場 sandai-reijo Mount Koya Mount Hiei Mount Osore Three Famous Big Buddhas Great Buddha of Kamakura 三大大仏 Sandai-daibutsu Todaiji, Nara Kotokuin, Kamakura Daibutsuji, Takaoka Three Great Festivals Neputa Matsuri, Hirosaki 三大祭 Sandaisai Gion Matsuri, Kyoto Tenjin Matsuri, Osaka Kanda and Sannō Matsuri, Tokyo 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 Nebuta Matsuri Aomori, Aomori Kanto Matsuri Akita, Akita Tanabata Matsuri Sendai, Miyagi 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). Sakinoyu Onsen, Shirahama Three Great Hot Springs 三大温泉 Sandaionsen Atami, Shizuoka Beppu, Oita Shirahama, Wakayama Three Famous Springs 三名泉 Sanmeisen. This list, too, was authored by Hayashi Razan. Arima Onsen, Hyogo Gero Onsen, Gifu Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Three Old Springs Bathhouse, Dogo Onsen 三古湯 Sankosen Dogo Onsen, Ehime Arima Onsen, Hyogo Shirahama, Wakayama Three Baths of Fuso 扶桑三名湯 Fuso-sanmeiyu. Fuso is a poetic name for Japan and this one is credited to traveling haiku poet Matsuo Basho. Arima Onsen, Hyogo Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma Three Great Night Views Osaka Bay at night 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 Sulphur pit, Mount Osore 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. Kinkasan Mount Osore Dewa Sanzan Shrines Three Great Inari Shrines Fushimi Inari, Kyoto 三大稲荷 Sandai Inari Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto Toyokawa Inari Shrine, Aichi Saijo 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, since sites only declare themselves to be a top 3 without mentioning the others. Takekoma Shrine in Iwanuma and Kasuma Inari Shrine in Kasama are also suggested by some. Three Great Tenjin Shrines Kitano Tenmangu, Kyoto 三大天神 Sandai Tenjin Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto, Kyoto Dazaifu Tenmangu in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Hofu Tenmangu 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 Usa Hachimangu Shrine (Usa, Oita) Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine(Yawata, Kyoto) Hakozaki Hachimangu Shrine (Fukuoka, Fukuoka) Three Great Torii 三大鳥居 Sandai Torii Omiwa Shrine (Sakurai, Nara) Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima), Hiroshima) Kehi Shrine (Tsuruga, Fukui) Three Hidden Regions Vine bridge, Iya Valley 三大秘境 Sandaihikkyō Shirakawa-go, Gifu Iya Valley, Tokushima Shiiba, Miyazaki Three Caves Akiyoshi-do Cave Akiyoshi-do (Akiyoshidai, Yamaguchi) Ryuga-do (Kami, Kochi) Ryusen-do Cave (Iwaizumi, Iwate) Three Sake Towns 日本三大酒処 Fushimi, Kyoto Nada, Kobe Saijo, Higashi-Hiroshima Three Chinatowns Chinatown, Yokohama 三大中華街　Sandai-chūkagai Yokohama Chūkagai, Yokohama Shinchi-Chūkagai, Nagasaki Nankinmachi, Kobe This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!