The is the canonical list of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

's three most celebrated scenic sights, attributed to a 1643 book by the scholar Hayashi Gahō. In 1915, modeled on the old Three Views of Japan,

Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha is a Japanese publishing company founded on June 10, 1897. Magazines Monthly *''Body+'' *''Comic Candoll'' *''GarrRV'' *''Garuru'' *''Misty'' *''Monthly Bijutsu'' *''Monthly J-novel'' *''Waggle'' Quarterly *''Kabuka Yohō'' *''NAIL VENUS'' Def ...

(株式会社実業之日本社) held a national election to determine a list of New Three Views of Japan. The is the canonical list of Japan's three most celebrated scenic night views. In April 2003, the ''New Three Major Night Views of Japan and the 100 Night Views of Japan Club'' (新日本三大夜景・夜景100選事務局), a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, formed a selection committee and, together with its members, selected by vote the New Three Major Night Views of Japan (新日本三大夜景), modeled on the traditional list of Three Major Night Views of Japan. In August 2004, they also announced the ''100 Night Views of Japan'' (夜景百選).

Three Views of Japan

The views are of the

eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

pine-clad islands of Matsushima in

Miyagi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...

; the pine-clad sandbar of Amanohashidate in

Kyoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga 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 World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Coordinates

These are the coordinates of the Three Views of Japan. * Matsushima Bay,

* Amanohashidate,

* Itsukushima (Miyajima), Hiroshima Prefecture

Gallery

File:Matsushima miyagi z.JPG, Pine-clad islands of Matsushima File:Amanohashidate view from Mt Moju02s3s4592.jpg, Sandbar of Amanohashidate File:20131012_07_Miyajima_-_Torii_(10491662566).jpg,

Torii A is a traditional culture of Japan, Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to ...

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 is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

* 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 is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...

Gallery

File:Komagatake dusk.jpg, Ōnuma File:Hagoromo no Matsu.jpg, ''Hagoromo no Matsu'' at Miho no Matsubara File:Kyoshuho.jpg, Yabakei

Three Major Night Views of Japan

The Three Major Night Views of Japan are: *

Hakodate is a Cities of Japan, city and seaports of Japan, port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 239,813 with 138,807 househol ...

seen from Mount Hakodate in

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

and Osaka Bay seen from

Maya Mountains The Maya Mountains are a mountain range located in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in Central America. Etymology The Maya Mountains were known as the ''Cockscomb'' or ''Coxcomb Mountains'' to Baymen and later Belizeans at least until the mid ...

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

seen from Mount Inasa in

Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan, mainly located on the island of Kyūshū, although it also includes a number of islands off Kyūshū's northwest coast - including Tsushima and Iki. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,246,4 ...

. 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 Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

Gallery

File:Play of fireworks and night scenes in Hakodate.jpg, Night view from Mount Hakodate File:View of Kikuseidai from Mount Maya Kobe.jpg, Ten Million Dollar Night View, Kobe File:Nagasaki City view from Mt Inasa04s.jpg, Night view of Nagasaki city

New Three Major Night Views of Japan

The New Three Major Night Views of Japan are: *Views of

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuk ...

from Mount Sarakura (皿倉山), a mountain in

Kitakyūshū Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on 16 October 1972 and has an area of . See also * List of national parks of Japan and of Japan are places of scenic beauty that are designated for protection and sustai ...

, which is at the city of Kitakyushu in

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders ...

. *Views of

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

from Mount Wakakusa (若草山), a mountain located in the east of Nara Park. *Views of

Kōfu is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 187,985 in 90,924 households, and a population density of 880 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Overview Toponymy Kōfu ...

Basin from Yamanashi Fuefukigawa Fruit Park ( 山梨県笛吹川フルーツ公園), a city park in Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture.

Gallery

File:Night view from Sarakurayama.jpg, Night view from Mount Sarakura. File:090124 wakakusa yamayaki.jpg, Burning the dead grass at Mount Wakakusa. File:From Fruit park the view of Kofu basin and Mt. Fuji.jpg, Kōfu Basin from Yamanashi Prefecture Fuefukigawa Fruit Park.

References

External links