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:
Views
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.
Three Famous GardensIt is unclear when these gardens were chosen or by whom.
FestivalsThe 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.
Hot springsCertainly one of the more hotly contested categories (pun intended).
ShrinesAs 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.
Temples
Nature三名山 Sanmeizan (Three Famous Mountains), also 三霊山 Sanreizan (Three Sacred Mountains)
Towns
FoodSome sources also claim Yonezawa Beef (Yonezawa) is one of the top three beefs.
Accommodation
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Japan's Top 3" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: kanesue, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons