Mount Wakakusa, located in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is a small grass-covered mountain 342 meters above sea level in the eastern part of Nara Park. Mount Wakakusa is also called Mikasa (meaning “three hats” in Japanese) because it looks like three hats stacked on top of each other, and is known for its annual “yama yaki(Grass Burning Festival)”.
Hiking Mount Wakakusa
Mount Wakakusa is also a hiking spot, with a 30-40 minute walk from the gate at the foot of the mountain to the summit.
In addition to the above route, there is the Kasugayama Trail, which provides access to the summit while enjoying a view of the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, one of the cultural heritage sites that comprise Nara Prefecture’s World Heritage Site. Which takes about one hour to reach the summit.
From the summit, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Nara Basin and Mount Ikoma, which borders Osaka Prefecture, as well as the 103-meter-long Uguisuzuka Kofun(ancient tomb), which is said to have been built in the 5th century.
Night View from Mount Wakakusa
The night view from the top of Mount Wakakusa is recognized as one of the “New Three Great Night Views of Japan” and is a spectacular sight.
However, since the aforementioned hiking course is closed at 5:00 p.m., the night view can only be seen by car using the Nara Okuyama Driveway, or by taking a bus operated by the Nara City Tourism Association on Fridays and Saturdays.
For details about the bus, please refer to the following.
Nara Wakakusayama Twilight and Nightscape Bus
https://narashikanko.or.jp/en/event/twilightbus/
You can also see Deer at Mount Wakakusa
