Three Views of Japan Day

What Is Three Views of Japan Day?

Every July 21st is also "Three Views of Japan Day" (日本三景の日, Nihon Sankei no Hi) in Japan. The day commemorates the birthday of Hayashi Shunsai (林春斎, 1618–1680) — the Confucian scholar of the early Edo period who, in his 1643 work "Nihon Kokujizhi" (日本国事跡考), listed the three most celebrated scenic views of Japan: Matsushima (松島) in Miyagi Prefecture, Amanohashidate (天橋立) in Kyoto Prefecture, and Miyajima (宮島, also called Itsukushima) in Hiroshima Prefecture. These "Nihon Sankei" (日本三景, Three Views of Japan) have been among Japan's most celebrated and visited landscapes for nearly four centuries.

The Three Views

Matsushima (松島, "Pine Islands") is a bay studded with approximately 260 pine-covered islands near Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture — one of Japan's most celebrated seascapes. Matsuo Bashō, visiting during his Oku no Hosomichi journey, was so overwhelmed by its beauty that he reportedly fell silent and composed no haiku. The bay was designated as Japan's first "Special Place of Scenic Beauty" (特別名勝, tokubetsu meishō).

Amanohashidate (天橋立, "Bridge to Heaven") is a 3.6-kilometer sand bar covered in pine trees spanning Miyazu Bay in Kyoto Prefecture. The traditional way to view it is upside-down — bending over and looking between one's legs — which transforms the pine-covered sandbar into the image of a dragon ascending to heaven.

Miyajima (宮島, also called Itsukushima) is an island in Hiroshima Bay featuring the famous "floating" torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) — which appears to float on water at high tide. The island and its shrine are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Canon of Japanese Scenic Beauty

The Three Views of Japan represent an early example of canonical landscape designation — the formal identification of certain natural scenes as supremely worthy of aesthetic contemplation and artistic commemoration. This tradition of designating scenic excellence has continued in Japanese culture, with official designations of "Hundred Views" (百景), "Eight Views" (八景), and other scenic category lists creating an organized geography of beauty that guides tourism, art, and national identity.

Fun Facts

• Matsushima after the tsunami: The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami affected the Matsushima area, but the bay's numerous islands absorbed much of the tsunami's energy — the islands that had made Matsushima beautiful also protected it from the worst of the disaster's impacts.
• Itsukushima deer: The sacred deer of Miyajima — considered divine messengers of the Itsukushima Shrine's gods — roam freely across the island and have become famous for their habit of eating visitors' maps and tourist pamphlets, a charming if inconvenient feature of the island's ecology.