  We propose a numerical variational method for three-dimensional (3D)
classical lattice models. We construct the variational state as a product of
local tensors, and improve it by use of the corner transfer matrix
renormalization group (CTMRG), which is a variant of the density matrix
renormalization group (DMRG) applied to 2D classical systems. Numerical
efficiency of this approximation is investigated through trial applications to
the 3D Ising model and the 3D 3-state Potts model.
