Let's climb Mount Wakakusa!





Mt. Wakakusa (若草山, Young-grass-mountain)　behind Nara Park is one of the major landmarks of Nara City.  The mountain is more like a hill with the height of 342 meters (1122 ft.).  It is covered with grasses including Susuki (Japanese pampas grass).  In Nara period (710-784), the hill was covered with trees but  by the Kamakura period (1192-1333), it became a grass covered hill.  It is also called Mt. Mikasa (三笠山 Three-hats-mountain) because it is composed of three hills which look like overlapped hats.

You can imagine how gentle the mountain is by Bunmeido's Japanese sweets, "三笠山/Mikasa Mountain". In Kansai region, “dorayaki” (Japanese dessert consisting of two slices of sponge cake with red bean jam in between) is called “Mikasa Manju” as its shape is similar to that of Mt. Mikasa (三笠). 

Two climbing trails are set up from the north gate and the south gate. In the photo above, right under the cherry trees is the north gate close to Todai-ji and the hill top in front is the summit of the first hill (一重目).

Cherry trees

Along the north trail, there are many maple trees.  Some leaves were still green, some yellow or red, and some in between, a week ago.

Climing up about winding 350 steps and several minutes’ walk under the canopy of trees, you reach the top of the first hill.  Let's have a break!

 

South view, Key mountain ranges in the distance



From the first hill to the last summit, the trails are on the ridge.
Cool and crisp air and sunshine was comfortable on my skin.

I had wondered what were the red grasses and I found them young Nankin-haze (Chinese Tallow tree).  There are many young nankin-haze, which have grown out of seeds dispersed by birds.  In fact there are so many that I wonder what Mt. Wakakusa would be like in future because Nankin-haze is hardy and fast-growing.

Young Nankin-haze add special charm and unique and distinct quality to the grass covered hills.



Nankin-haze encompasses many different autumn colors as is shown in my previous post, Spectral colors of 南京櫨, Chinese Tallow trees.

Susuki and Nankin-haze were glinting in the sun.

And besides, rooftops of houses, too!  To see the glinting world, I remembered one phrase “The wind, town, and flowers, we all dance one unity” from my favorite song “Always with me/いつも何度でも”. 

This is the top of the second hill (二重目).

The Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji is below your eyes.

West view: Nara City and Ikoma mountain ranges

The slope directly below the mountain summit is entirely covered with Susuki.

The mountain summit (三重目) is a nice vantage point where you can see a panoramic view. 

Around the top, there is Uguisuzuka ancient burial mound (late 4th Century).   The name is from “Uguisu no ryo”  in Pillow Tales by Sei Shonagon (estimated 966-1025) which this burial mound is reffered to.

The mountain is closed at sprouting time, mid-summer, and before Grass Burning Ceremony: the trails are open from mid-March to mid-June and mid-September to early December.  During the season, the entrance gates are closed in the evening but one exit is open all day long, so you can see the night scene on foot if you can brave coming down the mountain in the darkness, hearing the calling of lots of crows above.  When you do, be sure to go with a flashlight.  

One evening in September

Incidentally, the Mount Mikasa referred in Abe no Nakamaro’s waka poem is Mt. Kasuga (春日山), Kasuga Primeval Forest, on the south side of Mt. Wakakusa (also known as Mt. Mikasa), and Mt. Kasuga has another name, also “Mikasa-yama” using different Chinese characters as 御蓋山.  How confusing!