Mount Wakakusa is a scenic hill on the eastern edge of Nara Park in Nara City, Nara Prefecture. Rising 342 meters above sea level and covering approximately 33 hectares, it is one of the most recognizable landscapes of ancient Nara. Its gentle slopes are blanketed in grass, creating a distinctive green silhouette that has been admired by visitors for centuries.
The mountain is also known as Mount Uguisu, after Uguisuzuka Kofun, an ancient keyhole-shaped burial mound located near its summit. Another traditional name is Mount Mikasa, inspired by its appearance as three overlapping grassy hills. The name Mikasa appears in classical Japanese poetry, reflecting the mountain’s longstanding place in the cultural imagination of Japan.
Mount Wakakusa lies beside the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. Its natural scenery, historical associations, and traditional festivals make it an important destination for travelers seeking to experience the landscape and heritage of Japan’s ancient capital.
Mount Wakakusa is formed by three gently rising grassy slopes, each offering a different perspective on the surrounding landscape.
First level: Approximately 270 meters above sea level.
Second level: Approximately 308 meters above sea level.
Third level and summit: Approximately 342 meters above sea level.
A maintained hiking trail leads from the foot of the mountain toward the summit, with rest areas and viewpoints along the way. As visitors climb, they can enjoy increasingly expansive views of Nara Park, the surrounding city, and the distant mountains. At the summit, the ancient Uguisuzuka Kofun adds an archaeological dimension to the experience.
One of Mount Wakakusa’s defining features is its grassland, which is dominated by no-shiba, a type of Japanese native turf grass. This vegetation is an important part of the mountain’s landscape and supports a distinctive ecological relationship with the deer of Nara Park.
The seeds of no-shiba have hard protective coverings. When deer eat the grass seeds, some pass through their digestive systems without being destroyed. The seeds are then returned to the ground, where they can germinate under suitable conditions. This natural process helps sustain the grassland alongside other ecological factors.
Efforts by local authorities and volunteers have helped protect and expand the grass-covered slopes. The relationship between the vegetation and the free-roaming deer is an important part of Mount Wakakusa’s natural character, linking the mountain’s scenery with the wider ecosystem of Nara Park.
The Mount Wakakusa Yamayaki, or mountain-burning festival, is one of Nara’s most distinctive winter traditions. Held annually in January, the event involves setting fire to the mountain’s dry grass in a carefully organized ceremony that illuminates the night sky and creates a dramatic spectacle across the city.
The precise origins of the tradition remain uncertain, but historical accounts suggest that mountain burning was already practiced during the Edo period. One widely cited explanation connects the ceremony with memorial rites for the spirits associated with Uguisuzuka Kofun at the summit.
Another traditional account describes a time when people set fires on the mountain independently, reportedly believing that failing to burn it would bring misfortune. Efforts by the Nara magistrate to prohibit these fires were not entirely successful. Eventually, Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, and the Nara magistrate’s office worked together to establish a formal ceremony.
Today, the festival is generally held on the fourth Saturday of January, although it may be postponed because of weather conditions. A colorful fireworks display usually takes place for approximately ten minutes before the main mountain-burning ceremony begins at around 6 p.m.
The combination of fireworks and flames spreading across the grassy slopes creates one of Nara’s most memorable winter scenes. The glow of the burning mountain against the night sky provides a striking contrast with the historic temples and surrounding cityscape.
Various events take place around Nara in connection with the festival. A traditional New Year custom once involved residents bringing their seasonal decorations together to be burned in a communal fire known as tondo. A related tradition continues at Kasuga Taisha Shrine in the form of the Kasuga no Otondo ceremony.
The mountain-burning festival can be viewed from many locations across Nara City and the northern Nara Basin. Popular viewing areas include Nara Park near Kofuku-ji’s Five-Story Pagoda, Daike Pond in Nishinokyo, and the area around the Suzaku Gate at Heijo Palace Site Historical Park.
On clear evenings, the spectacle can also be seen from more distant locations, including rooftops in Yamatokoriyama, parts of Kashihara and Gose, and elevated viewpoints around Mount Ikoma and Hozan-ji Temple. The event attracts photographers and visitors eager to witness this dramatic expression of Nara’s seasonal traditions.
Mount Wakakusa brings together the natural environment, history, and spiritual traditions that define ancient Nara. Its distinctive three-tiered profile, native grassland, and relationship with the city’s deer make it a remarkable landscape, while the annual mountain-burning festival preserves a tradition that has been passed down through generations.
Whether admired from Nara Park, explored along its hiking trails, or viewed during the spectacular winter festival, Mount Wakakusa offers a memorable way to appreciate the scenery and cultural heritage of Japan’s ancient capital.
9:00-17:00
Open period
From the third Saturday in March to the second Sunday in December
Adults (junior high school students and older): 150 yen
Children (3 years old and up): 80 yen
10 min. by bus from JR/Kintetsu Nara Stn. to Kasuga-taisha Honden → 5 min. on foot to the foot of the mountain
8 min. by bus from JR/Kintetsu Nara Stn. to Omotesando of Kasuga-taisha Shrine. 10 min. on foot to the foot of the mountain.
Nara Okuyama Driveway “Shin-Wakakakusa Course