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!

Susuki at 生石高原 Oishi Highlands

 Autumn comes from the Sky....



.... to the top of the mountains and gradually descends to the plains.

Mt. Oishi, 870 meters high

Susuki, or Japanese Pampas Grass, spreads out on the sloped grassland with the summit of Mt. Oishi (870 meters high) at the northern Wakayama Prefecture. 

It is about three and a half hours drive from my home in Nara City.

In autumn, the slopes are covered with silver or gold veils of Susuki waving in the wind,  which attracts many visitors each year.

The path to the summit

 

花芒, which literally means "flower of susuki", is the susuki whose ears have formed. Almost all of the heads of susuki were in full ear and the rest will come into ear soon.

glinting silky white

silver

golden brown
with the backfrop of multiple layers of Kii mountain range

When caught in the sunlight, the white cotton-like ears of Susuki shines silky white, silver, or gold according to the weather or the direction of the light coming.

Susuki bend easily and gracefully in the wind, however, when they are downed to the ground, they rise up with resilience eventually.

Wakayama City in front

Landscape for 360 degrees can be enjoyed on the mountaintop and additionally, on fine days, Kobe City with the Rokko mountians and the Akashi channel bridge are visible.

The two flying things in the air are not birds but radio-controlled gliders.

Susuki has been favored as one of the seven autumn wildflowers since the ancient times.  

Its reeds were once used for thatching roofs.  Nowadays its domain is threatened by the invasive Goldenrod from America, but at this mountain, susuki is a dominat plant.

Another post about susuki: Susuki at Mt. Katsuragi

Susuki at Mt. Katsuragi

Susuki, or Japanese pampas grass, look wispy and graceful but actually they are as strong as weed like cosmos which I wrote in the post Autumn walk through cosmos.  A field of wild grasses might be an archetypal scene.  Many Japanese people would feel more wistful nostalgia to see a field of susuki than other wild grasses or flowers.

Susuki are willowy in appearance swaying in soft breeze.  In the strong wind, they are good at bending and later they restore themselves resiliently.  What is the Soul of Susuki?  Nature is the only truth.  There's something we can learn from it.

Mt. Katuragi (960m) is well known for the fields of susuki in autumn.  At the top, you can see panoramic view of surrounding mountains, Yamato plain (Nara), and Kawachi plain (Osaka).

view of Mt. Kongo

Susuki covers the mountain slopes.  

Susuki grows to the height of about 2 meters. 

The silver plumes look shimmering when bathed in the light. 

The habitat of susuki has been invaded by the goldenrod (セイタカアワダチソウ) from America these years.  Interestingly, I hear susuki known as Fairy Grass, is invading the domain of the native goldenrod in America.

 

Wild flowers including goldenrod, foxtail,  and susuki

The two small mountains are  Mt. Miminashi (left) and Mt. Unebi (right).

The mountain has started weaving colored brocades from the top.

view from the ropeway

Hikers will enjoy not only walking through susuki but also viewing the fabulous colored leaves soon.

Mt. Katsuragi gets ablaze in May with the red color of azalea.  If you feel inclined to see what it's like, visit Red Carpet Welcome  by “cosmos".

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