Three Views of Japan

The Three Views of Japan (日本三景, Nihon Sankei) is the canonical list of Japan's three most celebrated scenic sights, attributed to a 1643 book by the scholar Hayashi Gahō.^[1]

In 1915, modeled on the old Three Views of Japan, Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha (株式会社実業之日本社) held a national election to determine a list of New Three Views of Japan^[2].

Three Views of Japan

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[[Miho no Matsubara]], [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
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[[Yabakei]], [[Nakatsu, Ōita|Nakatsu]], [[Ōita Prefecture]]
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[[Hakodate, Hokkaido|Hakodate]] (from [[Mount Hakodate]]), [[Hokkaidō Prefecture]]
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[[Kobe]] & [[Osaka Bay]] (from [[Mount Maya]]), [[Hyōgo Prefecture]]
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[[Nagasaki]] (from [[Mount Inasa]]), [[Nagasaki Prefecture]]
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[[Kitakyushu]] (from [[Mount Sarakura]]), [[Fukuoka Prefecture]]
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[[Nara, Nara|Nara]] (from [[Mount Wakakusa]]), [[Nara Prefecture]]
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[[Kōfu, Yamanashi|Kōfu]] Basin (from [[Fuefukigawa Fruit Park]] ([[:ja:山梨県笛吹川フルーツ公園|ja]]), [[Yamanashi Prefecture]]
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Locations of the Three Views of Japan:

Classic
New
Night
New Night

1

Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture

2

Amanohashidate, Kyoto Prefecture

3

Itsukushima (Miyajima), Hiroshima Prefecture

4

Ōnuma, Hokkaidō Prefecture

5

Miho no Matsubara, Shizuoka Prefecture

6

Yabakei, Nakatsu, Ōita Prefecture

7

Hakodate (from Mount Hakodate), Hokkaidō Prefecture

8

Kobe & Osaka Bay (from Mount Maya), Hyōgo Prefecture

9

Nagasaki (from Mount Inasa), Nagasaki Prefecture

10

Kitakyushu (from Mount Sarakura), Fukuoka Prefecture

11

Nara (from Mount Wakakusa), Nara Prefecture

12

Kōfu Basin (from Fuefukigawa Fruit Park (ja), Yamanashi Prefecture

The views are of the eponymous pine-clad islands of Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture; the pine-clad sandbar of Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture; and Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture. All three are designated Special Places of Scenic Beauty, while Itsukushima is also a Special Historic Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Coordinates

These are the coordinates of the Three Views of Japan.

Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture38°21′59.1″N141°4′26.6″E / 38.366417°N 141.074056°E / 38.366417; 141.074056 (Matsushima Bay)
Amanohashidate, Kyoto Prefecture35°34′12.4″N135°11′31.1″E / 35.570111°N 135.191972°E / 35.570111; 135.191972 (Amanohashidate)
Itsukushima (Miyajima), Hiroshima Prefecture34°17′45.6″N132°19′11.4″E / 34.296000°N 132.319833°E / 34.296000; 132.319833 (Itsukushima)

Gallery

Three Views of Japan
Pine-clad islands of Matsushima
Sandbar of Amanohashidate
Torii at Itsukushima Shrine

New Three Views of Japan

The New Three Views of Japan are:

Ōnuma (大沼), a big pond in Ōnuma Quasi-National Park, which is at the town Nanae and the east side of Oshima Peninsula in southwest Hokkaidō
Miho no Matsubara (三保の松原), a pine grove in the Miho Peninsula, in the Shimizu-ku area of Shizuoka
Yabakei (耶馬渓), a section of river and valley at the upstream and midstream of Yamakuni River (山国川), in Nakatsu, Ōita, Kyūshū

Gallery

New Three Views of Japan
Ōnuma
Hagoromo no Matsu at Miho no Matsubara
Yabakei

Three Major Night Views of Japan

The Three Major Night Views of Japan are:

Hakodate seen from Mount Hakodate in Hokkaido
Kobe and Osaka Bay seen from Maya Mountains in Hyōgo Prefecture
Nagasaki seen from Mount Inasa in Nagasaki Prefecture.

All three are called ten million dollar night views, while Michelin Green Guide: Japan gave the Mount Hakodate experience 3/3 stars in a review, placing it as equal to mountain views of Naples and Hong Kong.^[3]

Gallery

Three Major Night Views of Japan
Night view from Mount Hakodate
Ten Million Dollar Night View, Kobe
Night view of Nagasaki city

New Three Major Night Views of Japan

The New Three Major Night Views of Japan are:

Views of Kitakyushu from Mount Sarakura (皿倉山), a mountain in Kitakyūshū Quasi-National Park, which is at the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū.
Views of Nara from Mount Wakakusa (若草山), a mountain located in the east of Nara Park.
山梨県山梨市の都市公園、山梨県笛吹川フルーツ公園から甲府盆地を望む。

ギャラリー

日本の新たな三大夜景
さらくら山からの夜景。
若草山で枯れた草を燃やす。
山梨県笛吹川フルーツパークから見た甲府盆地。

参考文献

↑ 「天橋立 - 歴史」（日本語）。天橋立観光協会。2011年7月17日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。 2011年5月14日閲覧。
↑ 「ムザちゃんの日本への門」 . muza-chan.net . 2025年12月26日閲覧。
↑ 「函館山の夜景」。 2014年10月19日にオリジナルからアーカイブ済み。2014年7月21日に取得。

外部リンク

日本産経公式サイト（日本三景）（日本語）
ヤケイ公式サイト（日本語）
フルーツパーク富士屋ホテル公式サイト（日本語）

[1] 「天橋立 - 歴史」（日本語）。天橋立観光協会。2011年7月17日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。 2011年5月14日閲覧。

[2] 「ムザちゃんの日本への門」 . muza-chan.net . 2025年12月26日閲覧。

[3] 「函館山の夜景」。 2014年10月19日にオリジナルからアーカイブ済み。2014年7月21日に取得。

[1]

[2]

[3]

Three Views of Japan