Mt. Wakakusa-yama, Wakakusa Yamayaki

The information about Mt. Wakakusa-yama is presented here. Mt. Wakakusa-yama is selected as one of the Shin Nihon Sandai Yakei (New Three Great Night Views of Japan), along with Mt. Sarakura-yama in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture and Fuefukigawa Fruit Park in Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture. The night view of Mt. Wakakusa-yama can be seen from the Nara Okuyama Driveway. The Nara Okuyama Driveway is a toll road that passes through the mountains of Mt. Wakakusa-yama, Mt. Kasuga-yama, and Mt. Takamado-yama. The Nara Okuyama Driveway includes the 7.4-kilometer Shin-Wakakusayama course, the 13.0-kilometer Nara-Okuyama course, and the 10.6-kilometer Takamadoyama course.

• Spot Location Map ＆ Directions
• Spot History
• Spot Highlights

【Mt. Wakakusa-yama Location Map ＆ Directions】

Address: Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan
Access (How to get there): Kasuga Taisha Honden bus stop (about 20 minutes on foot), Kintetsu Nara Station, JR Nara Station

【Opening Hours ＆ Closed (confirmation required)】

Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00
The mountain is open from the third Saturday in March to the second Sunday in December.

【Entrance Fees ＆ Tickets (confirmation required)】

Individual: Adults (junior high school students and older) 150 yen, children (3 years and older) 80 yen

【Mt. Wakakusa-yama History】

Mt. Wakakusa-yama (若草山) is a mountain located in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, with an elevation of about 342 meters and an area of about 33 hectares. Mt. Wakakusa-yama is also called “Uguisu-yama” because there is a burial mound called “Uguisu-yama kofun (tumulus)” on the top of the mountain, which is said to have been built in the 5th century. Mt. Wakakusa-yama is also called “Mikasa-yama” because it looks like three overlapping “Sugegasa (hats)”. Uguisu-yama kofun is a two-tiered keyhole-shaped mound built on the summit of Mt. Wakakusa-yama, with a total length of about 103 meters, a width of about 50 meters at the front, and a diameter of about 61 meters at the rear. Uguisu-yama kofun is said to have been built in the middle of the Kofun period (around the beginning of the 5th century). Uguisu-yama kofun is said to be “Uguisu no Misagi”, which Sei Shonagon wrote in her “Makura no Soshi” and in 1733, a monument was erected in honor of “Uguisu no Misagi”. However, it is now said that it is not “Uguisu no Misagi”. Mt. Wakakusa-yama is covered with noshiba (wild turf), a grass endemic to Japan. The noshiba is used as food for deer, but the seeds are covered with a hard shell and are excreted without being digested. Once the seeds enter the body of the deer, they are transformed into a state in which they can easily germinate, and their feces become fertilizer. However, Mt. Wakakusa-yama used to be a mountain where trees grew thickly.
Wakakusa Yamayaki (Yamayaki Festival, Wakakusayama Mountain Burning) is said to have been practiced since before the Edo period (1603-1868). However, the origin of Wakakusa Yamayaki is not clear. It is said that Wakakusa Yamayaki originated from the burning of Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha to settle the territorial dispute between Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, to appease the spirits of the Uguizuka Kofun, to cause scandals the following year if the mountain was not burned, and to improve the budding of spring. In addition, according to Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Wakakusa Yamayaki originated from the festival of Somabito, a woodcutter who appeasedd the spirits of Uguisu-yama kofun. Later, at the end of the Edo period, in order to prevent arson, the Nara Bugyosho (Magistrate’s Office), Todai-ji Temple, and Kofuku-ji Temple began to burn Mt. Wakakusa-yama in attendance. At present, Wakakusa Yamayaki is held to pray for the repose and remembrance of the souls of our ancestors, the prevention of disasters, and peace in the world. (There are various theories.) By the way, it seems that Wakakusa Yamayaki began to be held at night from the second half of the Meiji period (1868-1912).
*reference・・・Mt. Wakakusa-yama website

【Mt. Wakakusa-yama Highlights (May be undisclosed)】

★Deer inhabit Mt. Wakakusa-yama and Nara Park area. Mt. Wakakusa-yama and the Nara Park area are inhabited by more than 1,000 deer. You can even feed deer crackers to the deer.

【Events (confirmation required)】

★Wakakusa Yamayaki (若草山焼き) is held every year on the 4th Saturday of January. Wakakusa Yamayaki is preceded by hundreds of fireworks and followed by the simultaneous lighting of Mt. Wakakusa-yama. The fire is lit by transferring the sacred fire from the Kasuga-no-Daitondo of the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Related events such as stage events, goshinka hotaisai, seikagyoretsu shupatsu, taimatsu tenka, and Nogami Shrine saiten are also held during Wakakusa Yamayaki.

【Telephone (Please refrain from making phone calls.)】

Tel: +81-742-22-0375

【Recommended Walking Route】

The recommended walking route from Mt. Wakakusa-yama is to walk through Kasuga Taisha Shrine via Mizutani Shrine and Mizutani Chaya (tea house). More than 2,000 stone lanterns have been erected at Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and a variety of stone lanterns can be seen. It is also recommended to go from Mt. Wakakusa-yama via Temukeyama Shrine to Todai-ji Temple. Todai-ji Temple is home to the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) and Daibutsuden (Hall of the Great Buddha), which are popular with tourists from Japan and abroad.

【Remarks（access, parking, disclaimer, etc）】
If you plan to visit Mt. Wakakusa-yama, be sure to check the latest information.