Japan's Famous Lists
Japan ranks its own treasures in official lists: the 12 castles that kept their original keeps, 100 more with a numbered stamp waiting at each gate, 100 cherry blossom spots from Okinawa to Hokkaido, 100 springs and rivers chosen for their water, 104 places picked for their view of Mt Fuji, even 100 everyday sounds and 100 smells the government decided were worth saving. Beside them sit Japan's 27 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Each list here is checked against its official source, mapped from real coordinates, and ready to tick off as you go.
The 12 Original Castles of Japan 現存十二天守
Only 12 Japanese castles still have keeps built before 1868. All 12 mapped, with access, current closures and the three worth a detour.
Japan's Famous Threes: The Three Greats 日本三大
The three views, three gardens, three hot springs, three waterfalls, three festivals and three night views: 18 places mapped, with what is contested.
The 100 Fine Castles of Japan 日本100名城
Japan's official 100 Fine Castles, chosen in 2006 and numbered for the stamp rally: all 100 mapped, with what survives at each one and which keeps are shut.
Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites 日本の世界遺産
All 27 of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites mapped, from Horyu-ji in 1993 to Asuka-Fujiwara in 2026, with current closures and the five to see first.
Japan's 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty 特別名勝
Japan's 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty, 24 gardens and 12 landscapes, all mapped, with fees, access, and which ones need a booking or rarely open.
The 100 Best Sunsets of Japan 日本の夕陽百選
Japan's 100 Best Sunsets are really 75 places, all mapped here with the tide windows, equinox alignments and closing times that decide if you see the sun set.
The 100 Remarkable Waters of Japan 名水百選
Japan's official 1985 list of 100 springs, rivers and wells, from Rishiri Island to Okinawa. All 100 mapped, with drinking advice and the five to see first.
Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots 日本さくら名所100選
The 100 cherry blossom spots the Japan Cherry Blossom Association named in 1990, all mapped with usual bloom times, access, fees and what has changed.
The 100 Views of Mt Fuji 富士山がある風景100選
Japan's Environment Ministry named 104 places to see Mt Fuji from, round the Five Lakes, Hakone and Izu. All mapped, with how hard each is to reach.
The 100 Soundscapes of Japan 残したい日本の音風景100選
Japan's official 1996 list of 100 sounds worth keeping, from Okhotsk drift ice to eisa drums. All 100 mapped, with when to hear each and which have gone quiet.
The 100 Fragrant Landscapes of Japan かおり風景100選
Japan's 2001 list of 100 smells worth keeping, from Kusatsu's sulphur springs to Nara's ink makers. All 100 mapped, with seasons and what has changed.
Why Japan Ranks Everything in Hundreds
In the spring of 1927, two newspapers, the Osaka Mainichi and the Tokyo Nichi Nichi, asked readers to vote by postcard for the new great views of Japan, with the Railway Ministry backing the contest. Around 93 million postcards arrived, roughly one and a half for every person in the country. A panel of writers, artists and scholars then picked the winners from the top vote-getters, and alongside the headline eight views came a list of 100 Landscapes of Japan, one of the earliest national lists of its kind.
The format stuck. From the 1980s onward, government agencies took it up: 100 remarkable waters in 1985, 100 soundscapes in 1996, 100 fragrant landscapes in 2001. Private bodies followed with cherry blossom spots, castles, onsen, night views and local foods, and prefectures and city wards made their own. The Japanese Wikipedia article on hyakusen names more than 200 such lists.
The name is looser than the lists themselves. The rice terrace list holds 134 terraces, the hometown onigiri list 132 rice balls, and the Fuji views list 104 viewpoints, while the local-dishes list stops at 99 so the public could add the hundredth. What they share is authority: someone with standing looked at the whole country and decided these were the ones worth the trip.
That makes them unusually good travel plans, and surprisingly good games. Japanorama, the 2026 season of Jet Lag: The Game, races from Japan's southernmost station to its northernmost in seven days, and four of the lists on this page are cards on its board: record one of the 100 soundscapes, fill a bottle at one of the 100 remarkable waters and land the flip upright, write down five words for the view at one of the 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty and hope three of them match your partner's, or be at one of the best sunset spots at the exact moment the sun goes down. We map each list from real coordinates, check every entry against the official source, and mark the ones that have closed or disappeared, so you can plan around them and tick them off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hyakusen list?
Hyakusen (百選) means "a hundred selections": a list of the best examples of one kind of thing, chosen by an identifiable body. Ministries, foundations, newspapers and individual authors have all made them, covering castles, mountains, waterfalls, spring water, local dishes, and even sounds and smells.
How many famous 100 lists does Japan have?
Hundreds. The Japanese Wikipedia article on hyakusen alone names more than 200, from national lists made by government ministries since the 1980s down to lists for single prefectures and city wards. Plenty of them don't contain exactly 100 entries: the rice terrace list has 134, and the local-dishes list stops at 99 on purpose.
Which famous list should I start with on a first trip to Japan?
The 12 Original Castles. It's short, most of the castles sit in compact castle towns on JR lines, Himeji is an easy half day from Osaka or Kyoto, and Matsumoto makes a good overnight between Tokyo and the Alps. Each visit takes one to three hours.
Can I keep track of the ones I've visited?
Yes. Every list page has a checklist: tick an entry and it fills in on the map. Ticks are saved on your device without an account, and if you sign in they sync to your account and follow you to other devices.