It borders the Tokyo Imperial Palace and the Chidorigafuchi moats to the east, Nibanchō and Yonbanchō to the west, Ichibanchō to the south, and Kudanminami to the north.

Similarly to the rest of the Banchō area, Sanbanchō (三番町) was the site of residences of the Hatamoto soldiers in charge of guarding Edo Castle.

Among those, the residence of Sano Masakoto (on present day site of Otsuma Women University), who became famous in 1784 by killing in the castle an unpopular government official.

In 1804, the Wagakukōdansho (和学講談所), (Institute of Lectures of Japanese classics), founded in 1793 and run by the blind scholar Hanawa Hokiichi was moved to Omote-Rokubancho, near nowadays Sanbancho-24.

As the Shogunate was nearing its end, Omura Masujiro opened in 1856 Kyukyodo (鳩居堂), a rangaku institute in his residence, located next to nowadays Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery.