umajirushi: three-tier hats (three layers of hats with a bar passed through ) 馬印・・・三階笠（笠を3つ縦に重ねて棒を通したもの）
the engishiki ' (an ancient book for codes and procedures on national rites and prayers ) indicates that japanese temples were classified into 2 three-tier groups in ancient times . 古代、日本の「延喜式」には、2種3階級に分かれていた。
the local bureaucratic system was formed into a three-tier administrative organization of kuni (provinces ), gun/kori (districts ) and ri/sato (villages ) under the taiho ritsuryo (taiho code ) enacted in the year 701 . 地方官制（ちほうかんせい）は、701年（大宝元）に制定された大宝律令で国・郡・里の三段階の行政組織に編成された。
