100 Landscapes of Heisei announced

Old favorite Mt. Fuji and a number of highly original sightseeing spots were among the scenic areas chosen by The Yomiuri Shimbun and its readers for its 100 Landscapes of Heisei project as part of the paper's 135th anniversary celebrations.

More than 640,000 readers voted on the 100 landscapes they thought reflected modern-day Japan from among 300 proposed sites. The project's selection committee members then made the final selection based on these votes.

Mt. Fuji drew the largest number of votes, followed by Shosenkyo gorge in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Shiretoko in Hokkaido. Shosenkyo gorge finished second on the list thanks to the enthusiastic support of people who live near the area, while many voters said they wanted to protect the Shiretoko area so it can be passed to future generations as it is now.

Among the landscapes and scenes that have been recognized as scenic areas since the start of the Heisei era in 1989 are the night view of the Kofu Basin in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Tokyo Disney Resort in Chiba Prefecture. Both received many votes and also were well received by the selection committee.

Other places viewed as representing the current era include Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Railway Museum in Saitama Prefecture, and Naoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture.

Candidate sites