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the Three Views of Japan; Japan's three most scenic spots
The traditional set of Japan's three most celebrated landscapes: 松島 in Miyagi, 天橋立 in Kyoto, and 宮島 (Itsukushima) in Hiroshima. The grouping dates from the Edo period and is still used in tourism and school geography.
三景 means "three views." Japanese likes such sets of three: 日本三名園 (the three great gardens) and 日本三大〜 (Japan's three greatest ~) follow the same pattern.
Common collocations
- 日本三景の一つ: one of the Three Views of Japan
- 日本三景に数えられる: to be counted among the Three Views
- 日本三景を巡る: to tour the Three Views
Cultural note
All three sites are coastal, combining sea, pine-covered islands or sandbars, and (at Miyajima) a shrine. Each sells itself as 日本三景, and the phrase appears constantly in travel brochures.