# Mount Wakakusa, Nara > Mount Wakakusa is a 342-metre grassy hill on the eastern edge of Nara Park, behind Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha. The summit has the best view of Nara, and deer graze at the top. The climb takes 30–40 minutes. Entry is ¥150. The trail is open from roughly mid-March to mid-December, 9:00–17:00. It's 10 minutes on foot from Todai-ji. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/mount-wakakusa - City: [Nara](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara), Japan - YesGo score: 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: ¥150; children from 3 ¥80 - Hours: Roughly 9:00–17:00 - Season: Mid-March to mid-December - Height: 342 metres, a 30–40 minute climb - At the top: A view of Nara and deer - Getting there: 10 minutes on foot from Todai-ji or Kasuga Taisha - Coordinates: 34.69111, 135.85444 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **342 m** — height of the hill (source: en.wikipedia) - **'Young grass'** — the meaning of the name Wakakusa (source: en.wikipedia) - **Mikasa-yama** — the hill's other name (source: en.wikipedia) - **30–40 minutes** — climb from the gate at the foot (source: travel guides) - **¥150** — adult entry (source: narashikanko.or.jp) - **Yamayaki** — a fire festival on the fourth Saturday of January (source: en.wikipedia) - **Closed in winter** — roughly mid-December to mid-March (source: en.wikipedia) - **Deer** — graze on the slopes and summit (source: travel guides) ## What is Mount Wakakusa? **Mount Wakakusa**, the 'young grass mountain', is a hill **342 metres** high on the eastern edge of **Nara Park**, just behind Todai-ji temple and Kasuga Taisha shrine. Unlike the wooded hills around it, its slopes are covered in **grass**, so nothing blocks the view from the top. It's also called **Mount Mikasa**. The summit gives **the best panorama of Nara**: the roof of the Great Buddha Hall, pagodas, the park and the whole Yamato basin to the mountains on the horizon. As in the park, **deer** graze at the top. > **The trail isn't open all year** You can climb on foot only from roughly mid-March to mid-December — the trail closes in winter. The last entry is before 17:00, and you need to come down before the gate closes. The slope is steep and partly unshaded: bring water and comfortable shoes. ## Entry, hours and the climb According to the Nara City Tourism Association, entry is **¥150** for adults and ¥80 for children aged three and over; the gates open **9:00 to 17:00**, from the third Saturday of March to the second Sunday of December. You pay at the gate at the foot. The climb from the gate to the summit takes **30–40 minutes**. The slope rises in three humps: the first level already has a good view, and the summit the widest. You can also reach the top by car on a toll mountain road from the other side. ## What to see - **The view of Nara** from the summit. - **Todai-ji's roof** — its size is clearest from above. - **Deer** on the grassy slopes. - **The first level** — a view after just 10 minutes' climb. - **Sunset** over the Yamato basin. - **Yamayaki** — the burning slope in January. ## How to get to Mount Wakakusa 1. **From Todai-ji** — about 10 minutes on foot north-east, past Nigatsu-do hall. 2. **From Kasuga Taisha** — about 10 minutes on foot north. 3. **From Kintetsu-Nara** — about 30 minutes on foot through the park. 4. **Bus** — to the stop by Todai-ji, then on foot. 5. **By car** — the Nara Okuyama toll road to the summit. ## Mount Wakakusa or Nigatsu-do | | Mount Wakakusa | Nigatsu-do | | --- | --- | --- | | View | The widest, from the summit | From the temple veranda | | Entry | ¥150 | Free | | Climb | 30–40 minutes | A few minutes | | Season | March–December | All year | ## How long do you need? Allow **1.5 hours** to climb, rest at the top and come down. The hill fits well at the end of a day after Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha: the gate at the foot is between them. The best time is **towards sunset**, when the light is soft and the city below begins to light up. Just remember the gates close at 17:00 — in late autumn, sunset is around that time. On the **fourth Saturday of January** comes the **Yamayaki** festival: in the evening, after fireworks, all the dry grass on the slope is set alight, and the burning hill can be seen from all over Nara. The trail is closed then; it's best watched from the park, for example by Kofuku-ji's pagoda. ## Is Mount Wakakusa worth the climb? Yes, if you want to see Nara from above: it's the best panorama of the city, and the deer at the top are a bonus. The YesGo take: the climb is short but steep, and hard in the heat. If you're short of energy or time, the veranda of Nigatsu-do at Todai-ji has a good view too — free and with no climb. And the trail is closed in winter, so plan the hill only between spring and autumn. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Open season — not winter - [ ] ¥150 in cash - [ ] Water and comfortable shoes - [ ] Come down before 17:00 - [ ] Todai-ji on the way ## Nara views: compare and choose Observation points and views rated by YesGo. - [Mount Wakakusa](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/mount-wakakusa) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥150 ## Eastern Nara in a day Todai-ji's Great Buddha in the morning, the lanterns of Kasuga Taisha at midday, and the view from Mount Wakakusa towards evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800 2. [Kasuga Taisha](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kasuga-taisha) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · outer area free; corridors ¥700 3. [Mount Wakakusa](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/mount-wakakusa) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥150 ## Good to know Mount Wakakusa is not the wooded Mount Kasuga behind Kasuga Taisha. It is also written Wakakusayama. ## Tips - The trail is closed in winter. - Entry is ¥150. - The gates close at 17:00. - For a view without a climb: Nigatsu-do. - On the way: [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji). ## Questions ### How much does it cost to climb Mount Wakakusa? ¥150 for adults, ¥80 for children from age 3. ### When is the trail open? Roughly mid-March to mid-December, 9:00–17:00. ### How long is the climb to the summit? 30–40 minutes from the gate at the foot. ### How high is the hill? 342 metres. ### What can you see from the top? All of Nara, Todai-ji and the Yamato basin. ### How do I get there? 10 minutes on foot from Todai-ji or Kasuga Taisha. ### What is Yamayaki? A festival on the fourth Saturday of January when the dry grass on the slope is burned. ### Are there deer? Yes, they graze on the slopes and summit. ## How we checked Height, name, winter closure and Yamayaki are from Wikipedia. Price, hours and season are from the Nara City Tourism Association; dates differ slightly between sources, so they are marked 'being checked'. Climb time is from guides and the YesGo estimate. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Mount Wakakusa — height, name, winter closure, Yamayaki - Nara City Tourism Association (narashikanko.or.jp) — price, hours, season (via search 09.11.2026) - Travel guides — climb time, deer, summit road (unofficial) - Wikidata Q2428328 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.